Bundesliga Matchday 13 Preview: Clash of the Giants

With international week out of the way, which was relatively successful with Germany's national side getting a draw against Italy and a 1-0 victory over England in London, team mates of the DFB Team will meet Saturday for a  "Clash of the Giants."

Jogi Loew experimented in London and gave some of his younger crop a chance to show their talents.  London resident and Arsenal player Mers Mertesacker got the winning goal with a header of a corner.  Mats Hummels and Schmelzer were replaced early due to injuries as a precaution.  It is not clear if the two Dortmund steadfasts will be available for Saturday's match.  Frank Ribery will be out due to a broken rib. Bayern currently enjoys a four point lead on top of the table and could expand its lead to seven.  Bayer Leverkusen, tied at 28 points with Dortmund has an opportunity to slip into second spot, when the side travels to Berlin.  The Bundesliga table could be completely changed at the end of play on Saturday.

The matchday kicks off with Friday's fixture in the Daimler Benz Arena in Stuttgart, when fourth on the table Borussia Moenchengladbach meets eight placed VFB Stuttgart.  The two sides are separated by six points.  Gladbach with a 7-1-4 sheet in 12 matches will attempt to make up space to close up to the top trio, which it trails by six points.

The remaining matches on Saturday sees Nuernberg hosting Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg, currently in fifth spot will want to build on its success, while Nuernber will attempt to get its first victory of the season.  Wolfsburg trails Gladbach by one point and is currently holding fifth spot.   Augsburg hosts Hoffenheim and the fiesty Bavarians will try to hold off multiple goals from the Hoffenheim side, which holds the notorious record of most goals scored in their matches so far this season.  Braunschweig hosts Freiburg and are even in points.  Can Braunschweig prevail or will Freiburg finally propel itself out of the relegation zone.  Freiburg, which qualified for the Euro League last season, has had an uneasy start.  Eintracht Frankfurt hosts Schalke 04, which still aspires a Champions League spot. Schalke is currently in sixth spot, while Frankfurt has had its problems in the domestic league.

In Sunday's two remaining matches, which see Hamburg host Hanover 96 and Mainz traveling to Bremen, not much movement will be seen on the table.  Mainz, which has had a good start to the season has dropped off with a 5-1-6 record, with Bremen currently holding on to spot ten.  Hanover and Hamburg hold 12th and 14th spot respectively.

Anticipation for this matchday is high and although Dortmund currently trails Munich by four points, the side has been relatively successful in league play against Bayern.  Dortmund has the home pitch advantage and the strategy employed by Juergen Klopp and Pep Guardiola will play a big part.  Possession and solid defending will be a large part of this game and be a decisive factor in the outcome. Either way the fans in Dortmund will be treated to a delight. 

With FOX reaching an agreement with the Bundesliga for next season, the league is expanding its viewing audience in North America.  This will give viewers in the USA and Canada to follow the EPL, the Spanish League and the Bundesliga along with the MLS next season.


Friday 22 November

VfB Stuttgart vs Bor. Mönchengladbach   0-2

Saturday 23 November
   
1. FC Nürnberg vs VfL Wolfsburg       
FC Augsburg vs 1899 Hoffenheim       
Eintr. Braunschweig vs SC Freiburg       
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Schalke 04       
Hertha BSC vs Bayer Leverkusen       
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern München

Sunday 24 November
   
Hamburger SV vs Hannover 96       
Werder Bremen vs FSV Mainz 05   

Position------Team-------------------GP--W---D-----L-----GF/A-----Pts

1--------FC Bayern Muenchen-------12---10----2-----0------27-7-------32
2--------Borussia Dortmund----------12----9----1-----2------33:10------28
3--------Bayer Leverkusen------------12----9----1-----2-----27:14------28
4--------Borussia M'gladbach---------13----8----1-----4-----30:16------25
5--------VFL Wolfsburg---------------12----7----0-----5-----18:14-------21
6--------FC Schalke 04----------------12----5----2-----5-----22:24-------20
7------- Hertha BSC Berlin-----------12----5----3-----4-----20:16-------18
8-------VFB Stuttgart------------------13----4----4-----5-----24:23-------16
9-------Mainz 05-----------------------12----5----1-----6-----17:23-------16
10------Werder Bremen----------------12----4----3-----5----12:19--------15
11------Hannover 96-------------------12----4----2-----5-----13:18-------14
12------1899 Hoffenheim--------------12----3----4-----5-----28:28-------13
13----- FCAugsburg--------------------12----4----1-----7----13:23--------13
14------Hamburg------------------------12----3----3-----6-----26:29-------12
15------Eintracht Frankfurt------------12----2----4-----6-----14:21--------10
16------SC Freiburg--------------------12----1----5-----6-----13:24----------8
17------Eintracht Braunschweig------12----2----2-----8------8:23----------8
18------1. FC Nürnberg----------------12----0----7-----5-----15:25----------7

Bundesliga Matchday 6 Preview - Will Dortmund win six in a row?

Borussia Dortmund which is five for five this season will be chasing a new club record of six wins in as many starts.  Bayern Munich is the only other club in the league still undefeated, but have drawn one match, trailing the Borussen by two points.

Six clubs were involved in European group play this week, Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern, Leverkusen and Schalke in the Champions League and Eintracht Frankfurt and SC Freiburg in the Euro League.  Matchday 1 of the Group stage had two winners and two losers.  Bayern Munich, as expected defeated CKSA Moscow 2-0, but Dortmund lost its encounter with Naples 2-1. Leverkusen was defeated by Manchester United 4-2, while Schalke 04 defeated Steaua 3-0.

In Euro League action Eintracht Frankfurt won its home match against Girandis Bordeaux convincingly 3-0.  SC Freiburg gave up a 2-0 lead over Liberec and walked away with just one point after Liberec equalized.  After matchday 1 the Bundesliga tally is three twins, one draw and two losses.


Bundesliga matchday six kicks off on Friday afternoon with Moenchengladbach hosting Eintracht Braunschweig. Eintracht is still chasing its first win in the Bundesliga, while Gladbach is 2 wins and three losses.  The odds are in favour of Gladbach.

Mönchengladbach’s eleven league goals so far this season have been shared among no fewer than eight players, Branimir Hrgota being the latest to get his name on the list.  Bundesliga.de

Dortmund, with five wins on its scorecard will be traveling to Nuernberg with three draws and on loss and 16th spot.  Dortmund will have to overcome its loss to Naples on Wednesday to defeat the Franken, who  are sure to put up a fight in an attempt to get their first win of the season.  It will be a difficult task for Dortmund, but if the side fires on all cylinders it should come out on top.

 For the first time in their history, Borussia Dortmund have started the Bundesliga season with five straight wins. That puts them in a select group alongside FC Bayern München (who have managed it on seven occasions), VfB Stuttgart, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, 1. FC Köln and 1. FSV Mainz 05.  Bundesliga.de

FC Bayern, after their victory midweek, will be traveling to Schalke.  Schalke is 1-1-3 and seems to have recovered from its early season misfortunes.  The match will be close and a draw is definitely possible for the Knappen.  Leverkusen travels to Mainz.  Both sides are  have earned 9 points and the match is sure to be a delight for the fans, with anything possible.

Hannover hosts Augsburg, again two clubs with 9 points.  Hannover should come out on top, but never underestimate the Bavarian side, which is sure to fight for at least one point.   The remaining two matches on Saturday features Hamburger SV vs Werder Bremen and VFL Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim.  Hoffenheim has recovered from its season debut against Berlin and has since earned seven points, while Wolfsburg sits at six, with two wins and three losses.  The odds for a victory by both sides are quite good.  The edge goes to Wolfsburg as the home team.  Bremen has six points in five matches compared to Hamburg's four.  Both sides have a good chance to capture three points this weekend.  Can Hamburg overcome the home team advantage of Bremen?

 Hamburger SV have been the team of choice for target practice so far this season. HSV, who parted company with Thorsten Fink on Tuesday, have conceded 15 goals in their first five outings. Bundesliga.de

The matchday ends on Sunday, with Euro League contenders Eintracht Frankfurt and SC Freiburg taking on VFB Stuttgart and Hertha BSC Berlin.  SC Freiburg is still chasing its first victory this season while Berlin won two in their five starts.  Freiburg is not performing to the standard of last season and the question is if the side can put it together in time for the Berlin match.  The Euro League match has shown some serious attention lapses in the defence.  The Breisgau side has to overcome this if they want to defeat a lively Berlin side.  Frankfurts, Thursday performance demonstrated that the side has the ability to win important matches.  Both Frankfurt and Stuttgart have two wins to their credit and the game in the Daimler Benz arena should be a close one. The odds are on Frankfurt.

Two Japanese national team colleagues could line up against each other on Sunday when Gotoku Sakai's (pictured) VfB Stuttgart host Takashi Inui's Eintracht Frankfurt.  Bundesliga

On conclusion of matchday six the trends will have been established to guide the remainder of the season.  While Bayern and Dortmund lead the field by four points, Schalke and Leverkusen cannot be written off.  Good hunting.


Friday September 20

M'gladbach vs Eintracht Braunschweig  4-1

Saturday September 21
   
Hannover 96 vs FC Augsburg     
VfL Wolfsburg vs 1899 Hoffenheim   
Nürnberg vs Borussia Dortmund   
FSV Mainz 05 vs Bayer Leverkusen     
Hamburger SV vs Werder Bremen      Schalke 04 vs FC Bayern Muenchen
Sunday September 22

SC Freiburg vs Hertha BSC Berlin    
VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt     


Place-----Team-----------------------GP---W---D----L---GF/GA ---Pts
1--------Borussia Dortmund-----------5----5----0-----0------15:4-------15
2--------FC Bayern Muenchen--------5----4----1-----0--------9-2------13
3--------Borussia M'gladbach---------6----3----0-----3------15:11-------9

4--------Bayer Leverkusen-------------5----4----0-----1------11:6--------9
5--------Hannover 96--------------------5----3----0-----2------8:7---------9
6--------Mainz 05------------------------5----3----0-----2------8:8---------9
7--------FCAugsburg--------------------5----3----0-----2------5:7---------9
8------- Hertha BSC Berlin-------------5----2----1-----2------9:6---------7
9-------1899 Hoffenheim----------------5----2----2-----1----14:13--------7
10------FC Schalke 04-------------------5----1----1-----3------6:10--------7
11------VFB Stuttgart--------------------5----2----0-----3-----10:8---------6
12------VFL Wolfsburg------------------5----2----0-----3-------7:7---------6
13------Eintracht Frankfurt--------------5----2----0-----3-------7:9---------6
14------Werder Bremen------------------5----2----0-----3-------3:4---------6
15------Hamburg--------------------------5----1----1-----3-----11:14--------4
16------1. FC Nürnberg------------------5-----0----3-----1------5:8----------3
17------SC Freiburg----------------------5-----0----2-----3------7:11---------2
18------Eintracht Braunschweig--------6-----0----1-----5------3:15---------1

Bundesliga matchday 1 - What was revealed.

Bundesliga matchday one was true to its given name "Torfabrik" (goal factory).  37 goals were scored in nine matches, averaging around four goals per match.

Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen were true to form, all winning their openers. Schalke exchanged blows with Hamburg, but in the end had to settle for a draw.   The debut of the two newcomers, Hertha BSC Berlin and Eintracht Braunschweig ended with an overwhelming victory for Berlin, but Braunschweig gave up a tear jerker to Bremen.

Borussia Dortmund has set the pace for the Bundesliga race by maintaining a clean sheet.  While FC Augsburg, which barely escaped relegation put up a stellar fight, its defence was no match for Dortmund's new acquisition Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who got his first hattrick during his debut appearance.   While Bayern only has two goals in the plus column after their 3-1 win over Gladbach, the win must be seen as a success for Bayern's new coach Pep Guardiola.  He stuck to the normal line up for the Bavarians and permitted them to conduct an attack friendly game.  This allowed Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery to perform their magic.  Bayern, however showed some serious flaws in its defence during this match.  Dante's own goal revealed that there has to be better communication among them.

It is difficult to draw any real conclusions after one matchday.  Both Bayern and Dortmund had relatively easy opponents, Leverkusen played at home, while Schalke disappointed against Hamburg.  Berlin's trouncing of Frankfurt was a surprise and revealed that the Hessen have a lot of work to do in their defence.  Hoffenheim, despite its 9-0 DFB Cup success appears to continue its struggles.

Hoffenheim and Augsburg seem destined for another season battling relegation and Werder Bremen will be in the same boat.  Franfurt, after one match took a trouncing and may only have had a bad day.  Next weekend should provide a clearer picture.

Dortmund, Bayern and Leverkusen appear to be battling for the top spot, but the Knappen from Schalke will require a vast improvement.  While both Bayern and Dortmund have experienced the rigors of Champions League competition, it remains to be seen how Leverkusen will cope with the stress.  Schalke will have to improve vastly if the side is to compete at the top level.

Predictions

FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen should finish in the top four.  Who will be on top in the end is not that easy to predict.  This season the battle should be among all three.  While Dortmund was well behind Bayern during the 2012/13 season and Leverkusen just one point behind Dortmund, it should be a lot closer this year.  Toss a coin.

Hoffenheim, Augsburg, Braunschweig and Bremen are predicted to fight off relegation.  Berlin will have a top ten finish.  Gladbach, Hannover, Hamburg, Freiburg and Mainz will compete for spots in the Euro League.   The remainder of the pack will finish in the middle.

Related:  Matchday 1 Roundup

Bayern wins season opener

Season Preview

Bundesliga 2013/14 Matchday 1 Roundup

The Bundesliga has returned after a long summer break and the Friday opener did not disappoint.  Last years treble winner FC Bayern Muenchen hosted the season opener in the Allianz Arena and earned their first three points.  Pep Guardiola played with ten players that were in the Champions League final with one exception.  Toni Kroos replaced Martinez.

FC Bayern Muenchen vs Borussia Moenchen-Gladbach   3-1

While the match was intense, Bayern's offence was clicking with the likes of Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery, who is  up for Europe's "Footballer of the Year" award, Phillip Lahm and David Alaba were back in their usual positions.  Gladbach, unlike the Telekom Cup, during the preparation phase was a worthy opponent.  Bayer connected early in the first half, with goals from Arjen Robben (12th) and Mario Mandzukic (16th).  Dante's own goal on a communication error with Manuel Neuer in the 40th minute, made the match interesting.  Dominguez handball in the 68th minute resulted in a missed penalty by Thomas Mueller, but lo and behold Dominguez touched the ball with his hand again and David Alaba made no mistake on the retake of the penalty putting the record champion ahead 3-1 in the 69th minute.  Full game report

Bayer Leverkusen vs SC Freiburg 3-1

Leverkusen won the contest thanks to a double pack shortly after the half.  Freiburg dropped a penalty kick, which would have been a big opportunity to narrow the score.  Stefan Kiessling score d in the 22nd minute, but Freiburg's Hanke equalized in the just before the break in the 40th minute. Son made it 2-1 in the 46th minute, while Sam got the security with his 3-1 in the 52nd.

Hannover 96 vs VFL Wolfsburg 2-0

 A goal in each half gave Hannover a 2-0 victory in its home opener.  For large stretches of the game, Hannover was dominant.  With the sending off of two Wolfsburg players  (Arnold 22nd and Klose in the 52nd) it made life almost impossible for the Wolves.  Hannover went ahead with Andreasen's goal in the 17th minute and Huszti scrored the assurance goal in the 84th.

1899 Hoffenheim vs 1. FC Nuernberg 2-2

Hoffenheim started the second half with a 1-0 halftime lead, thanks to Abraham.  In the 51st minute it looked as if Modeste's goal put the game out of reach for Nuernmberg.  Not to be outdone, Nuernberg came back as a direct answer to Hoffenheim's goal when Frantz scored in the 54th minute.  Three minutes later, in the 57th minute, Ginczek got the equalizer, capturing the first away point of the new season.  Overall this was an exciting match.

FC Augsburg vs Borussia Dortmund 0-4

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started his Bundesliga debut with a bang, achieving a hattrick, which contributed to Dortmund's overwhelming success in its Bundeliga opener in Augsburg.  Aubemeyang put the Champions League finalist ahead in the 24th minute and added two more goals in the second half (66th and 79th minute).  Robert Lewandowski scored the fourth on a penalty kick in the 86th minute.  While Augsburg put up a fiesty defence, the side was lacking in the offence.  Dortmund's Juergen Klopp must be thrilled with his new acquistition and the win puts the black yellows in good stead for the season.  Augsburg will have to work on its offensive role, it it doesn't want a repeat of last season.

Hertha BSC Berlin vs Eintracht Frankfurt   6-1

After a nervous start, Berlin took control of the match and had a more than respectable debut in the Bundesliga after a one year absence.  Ramos and Brooks gave the side from the capital a 2:0 lead with their goals in the 18th and 32nd minute.  The Hessen, with a penalty kick by Meier narrowed the score before the half in the 37th minute.  Berlin's Allagui put the game out of reach for the Hessen with goals in the 58th and 60th minute.  Ramos and Ronny scored in the 71st and 89th minute to add insult to injury.   The game was a disaster for the Eintracht side, which qualified for Euro League competition in their debut season last year.  It would appear that Berlin has no intention to return to the second tier.

Eintracht Braunschweig vs Werder Bremen 0-1

After a mediocre performance by both sides in the first half, the teams, particularly Braunschweig returned revitalized.  The second half saw good action on both ends,  with a number of missed opportunities.  In the end Bremen can consider themselves lucky to come out on top, after Januzovic scored in the 82nd minute and Bremen captured the three opening points.  Braunschweig put in a strong performance, especially in the second half.   Both teams have work to do if they are to avoid relegation. 

Mainz 05 vs VFB Stuttgart  3-2

Mainz won their season opener in a close match.  Stuttgart and Mainz exchanged blows during the first 15 minutes, with an opening goal for Mainz (Mueller) in the 14th minute.  Ibisevic equalized in the 16th minute, which was the score at half time.  Mainz pulled ahead Ozakaki's goal in the 65th minute and then doubled the lead in the 78th, Mueller's second of the afternoon.   Stuttgart bounced back in the 82nd when Harnik narrowed the score to 3-2.  In the end it was too little too late for the Schwaben.

Schalke 04 vs Hamburger SV  3-3

Fans in the Veltins-Arena saw an exciting match, where Huntelaar didn't disappoint scoring his first goal of the season in the second minute.  Hamburg's Van der Vaart equalized on a penalty kick in the 12th minute and Hamburg took the lead in the 23rd on a goal from Beister.  Just as it looked as if Hamburg would take a one goal lead into the half, Klaas Jan Huntelaar scored his second in the 45th minute, sending the teams into halftime with a draw.  Incidentally the game marked the highest scoring one in a half for the new season.  Sobiech moved Hamburg once again out in front with his goal in the 49th.  Szalai again got the equalizer in the 72nd.  With a final score of 3-3 the sides shared a point and put on entertaining match for the 62,000 spectators.

Saturday, August 9
   
FC Bayern vs M'gladbach  3-1

Sunday, August 10

Bayer Leverkusen vs SC Freiburg  3-1
Hannover 96 vs VfL Wolfsburg  2-0
1899 Hoffenheim vs Nürnberg   2-2
FC Augsburg vs Borussia Dortmund  0-4
Hertha BSC Berlin vs Eintracht Frankfurt  6-1
Eintracht Braunschweig vs Werder Bremen  0-1

Monday August 11
FSV Mainz 05 vs VfB Stuttgart    3-2
FC Schalke 04 vs Hamburger SV  3-3

Place-----Team-----------------------GP---W---D----L---GF/GA ---Pts

1------- Hertha BSC Berlin------------1----1----0-----0-------6:1--------3
2--------Borussia Dortmund-----------1----1----0-----0-------4:0--------3
3--------Bayer Leverkusen-------------1----1----0-----0------3:1--------3
4--------FC Bayern Muenchen--------1----1----0-----0 ------3:1--------3
5--------Hannover 96-------------------1----1----0-----0-------2:0--------3
6--------Mainz 05------------------------1----1----0-----0------3:2---------3
7--------Werder Bremen----------------1----1----0-----0------1:0---------3
8--------FC Schalke 04-----------------1----0----1-----0-------3:3--------1
8--------Hamburg------------------------1----0----1-----0-------3:3--------1
10-------1. FC Nürnberg----------------1----0----1-----0------2:2---------1
10-------1899 Hoffenheim--------------1----0----1-----0------2:2---------1
12-------VFB Stuttgart------------------1----0----0-----1-------2:3--------0
13-------Eintracht Braunschweig------1----0----0-----1-------0:1--------0
14-------Borussia M'gladbach----------1----0----0-----1------1:3---------0
15-------SC Freiburg---------------------1----0----0-----1------1:3---------0
16-------VFL Wolfsburg-----------------1----0----0-----1------0:2---------0
17--------FC Augsburg-------------------1----0----0-----1-------0:4--------0
18--------Eintracht Frankfurt------------1----0----0-----1-------1:6--------0

FC Bayern: Test Game in Kaiserslautern

With just 11 days prior to the biggest pre-Bundesliga tests of all, the DFB Super Cup, Bayern Muenchen had another successful game against relegated club 1.FC Kaiserslautern.
25,000 spectators watched the game in the Betzenberg's "Fritz Walter Stadium". Schweinsteiger, Alaba, Pizarro, Contendo, Rafinha and Ribery were not in the line-up.
Bayern dominated the game, which wasn't much of a surprise. In the 23rd minute Bayern scored the opening goal, when Gomez missed a pass from Robben inside the 16 meter area, Mueller rushed in and put the ball into the net 1-0 Bayern.Full Story @allvoices.com

DFB Pokal - Aftermath - Voices and Analysis

Borussia Dortmund made the double perfect.  After winning the Bundesliga last year convincingly, the young Dortumund team secured this year's Bundesliga and German championship on Matchday 33.  With vigour they defeated Bayern Muenchen yesterday in the DFB Pokal, making the double perfect.

Dortmund demonstrated that they were no fluke last year and that the team will be a force to reckon with for some time to come.  With a convincing win in the Olympiastadion in Berlin, they not only defeated Bayern, but scored no less than five goals against the record champion and Champions League finalist.  It was a fitting finish for this year's season and soccer in Germany.

No less than 13 players of the German national side represented the two teams.  Soccer scouts from all over Europe were at the game, including German national side coach Jogi Loew and Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson.

Jupp Heyncke, Bayern's trainer, had to admit that the better team deserved to win.

"We can't complain.  Our whole defensive play was catastrophic.  One has to make the sober analysis that we did not deserve to win."

Dortmund's Captain, Sebastian Kehl, who was lifting the DFB Pokal "The Pot", was full of joy, stating that Dortmund deserved to win.

We have proven that we rightly won the Championship and the Pokal.  We were always present.  It was undescribable to score five goals against Bayer, sensational," Kehl said. 

 The downfall of the Bayern empire started when Luiz Gustavo failed to get a pass back to Manuel Neuer,  Kuba Blaszczykowski sprinted into the pass just under three minutes into the game and put Dortmund ahead.  Arjen Robben got the equalizer via a penalty kick and it looked as if there would be a game.  Matt Hummels put Dortmund into the lead in the 41st minute with a penalty kick.  It was still game on.

During injury time Robert Lewandowski put the Borussen ahead 3-1, the first of his three goals.  There were times when it was almost clear that Bayern had its eye already on next week's Champions League final against Chelsea.  Grosskreutz pushed out of his own half and delivered a perfect pass to Lewandowski, who put Dortmund ahead 4-1 in the 58th minute.   Frank Ribery who seemed to be one of the only Bayern players engaged, narrowed the score to 4-2 in the 75th minute.

Robert Lewandowski put the game totally out reach of Bayern when he scored his third goal of the night in the 81st minute.

Jupp Heyncke, naturally disappointed with his teams performance, especially defensively, said that the loss was unbelievable.  He has vowed not to repeat those mistakes in next week's Champions League final.

For not particular explainable reason we were  scored on early, Heyncke explained.  Although it was a convincing defeat, he says that he also sees the positive.  He said that the Bayern played well in the first half, was well organized and have demonstrated soccer culture.  After getting scored on with a penalty kick and then taking another goal shortly before the break, it was hard to come back with a 3-1 deficit.

Heyncke said that while he doesn't want to lay blame on anyone in particular, that he thinks that the three players, which are suspended against Chelsea did not play to their optimal potential, especially in the defence. He thought it obvious that they were pre-occupied with their situation. He said that he understood their disappointment, however it shouldn't have affected how they normally play.

What appeared to be an enormous advantage for next week's Champions League final, is turning into a major demoralizer.  The question now is whether or not Bayern can pick up the pieces and put on a first class performance in the Allianz Arena.


Consistency has one of the biggest detractors of the Bayern side this season, although normally they have been able to come out big for important matches.  In yesterday's Cup final the team collapsed.  On Saturday they have an opportunity to redeem themselves.  One can rest assured that Chelsea studied the Bayern's play yesterday.  Of course next weekend it will be a totally revamped defence.

DFB Pokal - Dortmund overruns Bayern with 5 - 2 Goals

After initial pressure by Bayern on Dortmunds target, the Borussen countered quickly and a mistake by the Bayern defence left the net wide open for Kagawa who put the ball into the net in the third minute for the 1-0 lead for Bayern.  

In the 25th minute a long pass intended for Mario Gomez hit its mark.  Weidenfeller left the net and without touching the ball brought Gomez to the ground.  The referee awarded a penalty kick, which Arjen Robben converted to the 1-1 draw. 

Roman Weidenfeller who was hurt in the 8th minute in a collision with Mario Gomez, finally bit the bullet in the 34th minute and had to be replaced by the Australian Mitch Langarak.  His first test came just a few minutes later when he took a courageous dive at Mario Gomez.  He certainly passed that test.

With end to end action throughout the match, Dortmund was attacking the Munich end.  Schmelzer shot was blocked and then Grosskreutz was taken down by Jerome Boateng in the penalty area.  Clear decision, penalty for Dortmunds which Matt Hummels converted for the 2-1 lead for Dortmund.,

While just seconds into injury time, Kagawa  makes a brilliant delivery to Robert Lewandowski who defeats the three Bayern defenders and put the ball into the net for a 3-1 lead for Borussia Dortmund.

Near the end of the first half Dortmund was very much in control.  The teams hit the cabin with a 3-1 lead for Dortmund.  Bayern had a big task ahead, if they were to safe the game.  While Bayern had more ball possession in the first half, Dortmund convinced in their ability to switch to offense quickly and for the most part were able to make something out of their chances.

In the second half Dortmund continued its tight defence with counters.  The tactic paid off in the 58th minute when Grosskerutz passed to  Kagawa, who saw Lewandowski on the right in the penalty box.  Lewandowski picked up the ball and fired it from 12 meters into the left corner of the net for a 4-1 Dortmund lead.

Bayern finally came back into match when Ribery go the ball through a tight defence, defeating Schmelzer in the process.  He let go with the left foot and sank the ball into the left side of the net.

The Bayern goal, which gave some hope, didn't last long when Gundogans passed to Pisczek and Manuel Neuer, who had the ball dropped it.  Piscek passed to Lewandowski who headed the ball into the net in the 81st minute, giving Dortmund a 5-2 lead.

That is how it ended on this night and Dortmund is the German Cup champion.  The victory is well deserved and for the second time this season Bayern goes empty handed  Borussia Dortmund is the undisputed best team in German football.  They should be a force to be reckoned with in the Champions League in the coming season. 

FC Bayern:  Manuel Neuer - Philipp Lahm,  Jerome Boateng, Holger Badstuber, David Alaba(Contendo (69th) , Luiz Gustavo Thomas Mueller 46th),   Bastian Schweinsteiger - Arjen Robben, Toni Kroos, Franck Ribery -Mario Gomez

Borussia Dortmund:   Roman Weidenfeller (Mitch Langarak 34th) - Lukas Piszczek, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer- Ilkay Gundogan, Kuba (Piresec 84th)  - Jakub Blaszczykowski, Shinji Kagawa (Bender), Kevin Großkreutz - Robert Lewandowski

Bundesliga Matchday 34 Fixtures and Preview

Bundesliga Matchday 34 marks the end of the 2011/12 Bundesliga season.  The top four spots have been decided.  Dortmund will be the champion, handily leading FC Bayern with eight points and Bayern is nine points ahead of Schalke 04, which in turn leads Borussia Moenchengladbach by seven points.  For VFB Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen it  will be a battle for fifth and sixth place, with Stuttgart currently holding a one point lead.

Hannover, Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim, Nuernberg and Bremen mathematically have a chance to move into the seventh and final Euro League spot.  Realistically speaking, only Wolfsburg has a real opportunity to remove Hannover from that spot.

Kaiserslautern is already relegated and the results of the Koln vs Bayern and Berlin vs Hoffenheim will decide the second relegation and relegation elimination match with the 2. Bundesliga third place club.

The soon to be crowned champion Borussia Dortmund will host a feisty Freiburg team.  With the trophy in place, Dortmund will want to leave a good impression in its final match for the season.  Munich plays in Koln, a team fighting for its very survival in the Bundesliga.  It's a must win for Koln.  Although Berlin is two points behind, the goal difference would move Koln into spot 17 in the even of a tie and a Berlin win.  Berlin hosts Hoffenheim, which is another difficult match for the Berliners.

05.05.2012     15:30     1. FC Nürnberg - Bayer 04 Leverkusen     -:- (-:-)    
05.05.2012     15:30     1. FSV Mainz 05 -M'gladbach     -:- (-:-)    
05.05.2012     15:30     1. FC Köln - FC Bayern München     -:- (-:-)    
05.05.2012     15:30     SV Werder Bremen  - FC Schalke 04     -:- (-:-)   
05.05.2012     15:30     FC Augsburg - Hamburger SV     -:- (-:-)    
05.05.2012     15:30     Borussia Dortmund  - Sport-Club Freiburg     -:- (-:-)    
05.05.2012     15:30     Hannover 96 - 1. FC Kaiserslautern     -:- (-:-)    
05.05.2012     15:30     Hertha BSC  - 1899 Hoffenheim     -:- (-:-)    
05.05.2012     15:30     VfB Stuttgart  - VfL Wolfsburg     -:- (-:-)

Bundesliga Table
                                                    GP       W    D    L        GF/A        Pts
1Borussia Dortmund                    33      24    6    3         76:25          78
2Bayern München                        33      22   4     7         73:21          70
3Schalke 04                                  33      19   4   10         71:42          61
4Borussia Mönchengladbach       33      16   9    8          46:24          57
5VfB Stuttgart                               33     14   8   11         57:44          50
6Bayer Leverkusen                       33      14   9     9         49:41          49
7Hannover 96                                33     11  12   10         39:44          45 8Wolfsburg                                    33     13    5   15         45:57          44
9Hoffenheim                                 33      10  11   12         40:44          42
101. FC Nürnberg                         33      12    6   15          37:45          42
11Werder Bremen                          33     11    9   13          46:55          42
12SC Freiburg                               33      10  10  13           44:57          40
13FSV Mainz 05                           33        9  12  12           47:48          39
14Hamburger SV                           33        8  12  13           35:56          36
15FC Augsburg                             33         7  14  12          35:49          35
161. FC Köln                                 33         8    6  19          38:69          30
17Hertha BSC Berlin                     33         6  10  17         38:63          28
181. FC Kaiserslautern                  33         4   11  18         23:52          23

Chelsea should Not be Underestimated by Bayern

FC Bayern should not get tempted to underestimate Chelsea in the upcoming Champions League final (May 19th) in the Allianz Arena.  While Chelsea at present is only in fifth place in the Barclays Premier league, the team remarkably made its way into the Champions League final, after heavyweights, in their respective domestic leagues, like Manchester United, Manchester City, and Borussia Dortmund have been knocked out.

Chelsea's latest feat was their defeat of FC Barcelona on their home grounds.  The team continued its success in the Premier League today by walking over Queen's Park Rangers with a Torres hat trick 6-1.  While QPR is not Bayern Muenchen, the game has demonstrated that Chelsea possesses a tremendous offensive, even without Captain Terry, who is banned from the final due to being red carded in the Barcelona game.

Bayern Muenchen will be missing its regular defensive team in Alaba, Badstuber and Gustavo.  All of these defenders both looked after protecting Manuel Neuer's turf, while having the ability to join in the offensive on quick counters.  The good news for Bayern is that Mario Gomez, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben, Frank Ribery and Lahm will still be the mainstay of Bayern's team.  Prior to the Champions League Final Bayern has one more league game against 1.FC Koen, where Jupp Heynckes can give a break to some of his A- Team.  The following weekend, on May 12th Bayern takes on league champion Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Pokal (German FA Cup). 

While the German FA Cup will be a very difficulty task for Bayern, it will also be yet another task prior to the Champions League final.  Having ceded the league championship to Dortmund, the FA Cup is all about bragging rights.  Expect an exciting match.

Michael Ballack, who played four seasons for both FC Bayern and Chelsea was asked who he thought would be favoured in  this match.  He said, "I think that Bayern Munich is the favourite, since they are playing at home.  That is a big advantage.  In a final, in which giant emotions play a big role, a home game is a constellation, which has never happened before.  This is why Bayern will have an emotional advantage, which will be hard to counter by Chelsea. Only Barcelona would have been in capable to play in such a final away from home as an equal and possibly win.  On paper Bayer has a giant advantage. But that can also be dangerous. Ballack played his last home match today in Leverkusen. 

With the right engagement Bayern can defeat Chelsea.  The key is not to make the same mistake Barca made.  Open up the defence and get Chelsea spread out in the rear.  Another 90 minutes of overwhelming ball possession, with little to show for it, would be hard to stomach.

Bundesliga Matchday 33 Fixtures and Preview

 Bundesliga season 2011/12 is slowly winding down.  Although Dortmund has already secured the championship, Bayern Muenchen the second spot, and the remaining Euro League qualifying spots, the seventh and final spot, presently occupied by Hannover is still mathematically in contention. 

Kaiserslautern is already relegated, while Hamburg, Augsburg, Koeln and Berlin will still be fighting for Bundesliga survival.  Berlin and Koln are the most likely to end  up in these spots, but the game takes some strange twists and turns and could during the two remaining matchdays as well. 

Kaiserslautern, with nothing left to lose, hosts Borussia Dortmund, a result that should be predictable.  Koeln travels to Freiburg.  With Freiburg having secured its Bundesliga survival, the situation is different for Koeln.  Koeln is in a must win situation.  Will they be able to win in Freiburg?  The pressure will be on Koeln, with Freiburg playing relaxed.  The edge has to go to Freiburg.  Berlin takes on third place Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen, a difficult match with so much at stake for the Berliners. 

Coming off a win against Real Madrid, FC Bayern hosts neighbour VFB Stuttgart in the Allianz arena.  Bayern will be totally relaxed.  With the Bundesliga championship no longer attainable, the focus will be on the DFB Pokal against Dortmund on May 12th in Berlin and the Champions League final against Chelsea in the Allianz Arena on May 19th.  Stuttgart has the faint hope of moving into 4th place, depending on Gladbach's performance in the last two matchdays.  The Schwaben would love to unseat the Champions League heroes. 

Gladbach hosts Augsburg and the outcome is not a forgone conclusion.  Augsburg is struggling for Bundesliga survival and the team has rebounded significantly since the winter break.  This is certainly a match to watch. 

Below are the remaining games for Matchday 35:

28.04.2012, 15.30    Bayer Leverkusen -    Hannover 96                      (-:-)   
28.04.2012, 15.30    Hamburger SV -    FSV Mainz 05                         (-:-)   
28.04.2012, 15.30    1899 Hoffenheim -    1. FC Nürnberg                   (-:-)   
28.04.2012, 15.30    Bayern München -    VfB Stuttgart                       (-:-)   
28.04.2012, 15.30    SC Freiburg -    1. FC Köln                                   (-:-)   
28.04.2012, 15.30    Bor. Mönchengladbach -    FC Augsburg              (-:-)   
28.04.2012, 15.30    1. FC Kaiserslautern -    Borussia Dortmund        (-:-)   
28.04.2012, 15.30    VfL Wolfsburg -    Werder Bremen                       (-:-)   
28.04.2012, 15.30    Schalke 04 -    Hertha BSC Berlin                         (-:-)

Bundesliga Table
                                                    GP       W    D    L        GF/A        Pts
1Borussia Dortmund                    32      23    6    3         71:23          75
2Bayern München                        32      21   4     7         71:21          67
3Schalke 04                                  32      18   4   10         67:42          58
4Borussia Mönchengladbach       32      16   8     8         46:24          56
5VfB Stuttgart                               32     14   8   10         57:42          50
6Bayer Leverkusen                       32      13   9     9         48:41          48
7Hannover 96                                32     11  12     9         39:43          45
8Hoffenheim                                 32     10  11   11          38:41          42
9Werder Bremen                           32     11    9   12          45:52          42
10Wolfsburg                                 32      12   5   15           42:56          41
111. FC Nürnberg                         32      11   6   15           34:43          39
12FSV Mainz 05                           32        9  11 12            47:48          38
13SC Freiburg                               32        9  10  13           41:56          37
14Hamburger SV                           32        8  11  13           35:56          35
15FC Augsburg                             32         7  13  12          35:49          34
161. FC Köln                                 32         8    6  18          37:66          30
17Hertha BSC Berlin                     32         6  10  16         38:59          28
181. FC Kaiserslautern                  32         4   11  17         21:47          23

Bayern defeats Real Madrid with Penalty shots 3-1

FC Bayern Muenchen defeated Real Madrid in a penalty shoot out.  Both teams definitely deserved to be in the final, but in the end it could be only one winner.  A superb performance by both teams.   

The first half started with Madrid having slightly more ball possession than FC Bayern, and Madrid pressed hard to get a goal.  Alaba drew a whistle and penalty kick, on harsh call, after his arm was struck by a ball.  However a call is a call.  On the opposite end there was another penalty call when Pepe fouled Arjen Robben just inside the penalty box. 

After a handball by Alaba in the box, the penalty awarded by the Hungarian referee, was concverted by Cristiano Ronaldo in the sixth minute, 1-0 for Madrid. Alaba determined to make up the error, charged back on the left side, delivering a perfect pass to Robben, who put it over the target.

Cristiano Ronaldo got Real Madrid's second goal when Mezul Oezil played a soft ball into his path and he did not disappoint in front of goal.  2-0 Madrid.

Arjen Robben narrowed the lead from the penalty spot in the 27th minute.  That was the second penalty shot of the night.  The match was now equal in aggregate.  

Bayern led in shots on goal 10 against 7, as well as ball possession of 58% against Madrid's 42% in the first  half.

During the second half the teams were relatively evenly matched with chances on either side.  Ronaldo missed three free kicks, two of them into the arms of Neuer, while the third went well over the target.  Gomez, on the  opposite side missed his best chance of the game when he was in the open after a pass from Robben.  

After the second half Bayern still lead in ball possession 55% to 45%, with 17 to 12 shots on goal.  After regular time the two teams were tied in aggregate 3-3.  30 minutes of overtime were played to sort it out, without result


After another 30 minutes of overtime, the two arguably best teams in the Championsleague fought to a 3-3 aggregate.  The game went to penalty shots. Too bad the game had to be decided that way.  Both teams belonged into the final.  85,000 continued to be on the edge of their seats. 


Penalty Shots -


1st - David Alaba - 1-0 Munich
2nd - Cristiano Ronaldo - Neuer saves the shot 1-0 Munich
3rd - Mario Gomez - 2-0Munich
4th - Kaka - Neuer saves it 2-0 Munich
5th - Toni Kroos - Casillas saves it 2-0 Munich
6th - Xabi Alonso - 2-1 Munich



7th - Phillip Lahm - Casillas saves 2-1 Munich 
8th - Sergeo Ramos - Fires it over the net 2-1 Munich 
9th - Bastian Schweinsteiger - 3-1 Bayern

Bayern will be facing Chelsea at the Allianz Arena in the final 



Real Madrid:  Casillas, Pepe, Ramos, Khedira, Ronaldo, Benzema (Higuain 76th) , Özil (Granero 11th), Marcelo, Alonso, Arbeloa, Di María (Kaka 75th)

FC Bayern: Neuer - Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba - Schweinsteiger, Luiz Gustavo - Robben, Kroos, Ribery (Mueller 95th)  - Gomez

Bundesliga Matchday 32 Roundup - Dortmund Seals Championship

With seven games  in the books, Borussia Dortmund has secured the Bundesliga championship with still two matchdays to go.  FC Bayern edged out a last minute victory against Werder Bremen, all but destroying Werder's chances for a Euroleague berth next season.  Kaiserslautern, already  relegated, defeated Berlin 2-1, making it the second candidate headed for relegation, short of a miracle.  Stuttgart with its draw against Koeln will qualify for the Euroleague but the chances for a Champions League spot are all but erased.  Mainz's draw with Wolfsburg will ensure that the team remains in the Bundesliga.  Nuernberg assured a spot in the Bundesliga next season by picking up a point against Hamburg.

Hamburg is not out of danger yet, while Freiburg can get the insurance with a win tomorrow against Hannover. Augsburg, which hosts Schalke tomorrow will want to pick up additional points to provide that special assurance.

While FC Bayern played with a second string team for almost 70 minutes, it became clear that Jupp Heynckes was not willing to concede a loss.  He substituted his regulars, Mario Gomez, Frank Ribery and Toni Kroos.  The plot worked and Munich scored two goals after the change.  On to Madrid for the record champion with a well rested team.

Schalke 04 traveled to Augsburg, for a match that was important for both teams.  Schalke could have increased its lead in third place over Gladbach, while had a chance to increase the three point buffer to the relegation zone. With a 1-1 draw, Schalke has a two point buffer on Gladbach, while Augsburg now has a four point buffer over 16th place Cologne.  Freiburg is all but certain to avoid relegation, while Hannover is still battling for a coveted Euro League spot.
Bundesliga Reaction to Dortmund's second consecutive championship


 Bundesliga Promotion for Season 2012/13

SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Eintracht Frankfurt will be joining the Bundesliga next season.  The third spot, which has to be decided with a relegation playoff, will in all likelihood be fought for between Duesseldorf, St. Pauli and Paderborn, who have 60, 59 and 58 points respectively with two matchdays remaining.  Frankfurt has a game in hand and plays 2nd league taillight Allemania Aachen tomorrow. A win by more than one goal would put Frankfurt into the 2nd Liga lead.

20.04.2012, 20.30    FSV Mainz 05 -    VfL Wolfsburg                              0-0 
21.04.2012, 15.30    1. FC Nürnberg -    Hamburger SV                             1-1   
21.04.2012, 15.30    Hertha BSC Berlin -    1. FC Kaiserslautern               1-2   
21.04.2012, 15.30    1. FC Köln -    VfB Stuttgart                                       1-1   
21.04.2012, 15.30    1899 Hoffenheim -    Bayer Leverkusen                      0-1  
21.04.2012, 15.30    Werder Bremen -    Bayern München                          1-2   
21.04.2012, 18.30    Borussia Dortmund -    Bor. Mönchengladbach          2-0   
22.04.2012, 15.30    FC Augsburg -    Schalke 04                                        1-1   
22.04.2012, 17.30    Hannover 96 -    SC Freiburg                                       0-0

Bundesliga Table
                                                    GP       W    D    L        GF/A        Pts
1Borussia Dortmund                    32      23    6    3         71:23          75
2Bayern München                        32      21   4     7         71:21          67
3Schalke 04                                  32      18   4   10         67:42          58
4Borussia Mönchengladbach       32      16   8     8         46:24          56
5VfB Stuttgart                               32     14   8   10         57:42          50
6Bayer Leverkusen                       32      13   9     9         48:41          48
7Hannover 96                                32     11  12     9         39:43          45
8Hoffenheim                                 32     10  11   11          38:41          42
9Werder Bremen                           32     11    9   12          45:52          42
10Wolfsburg                                 32      12   5   15           42:56          41
111. FC Nürnberg                         32      11   6   15           34:43          39
12FSV Mainz 05                           32        9  11 12            47:48          38
13SC Freiburg                               32        9  10  13           41:56          37
14Hamburger SV                           32        8  11  13           35:56          35
15FC Augsburg                             32         7  13  12          35:49          34
161. FC Köln                                 32         8    6  18          37:66          30
17Hertha BSC Berlin                     32         6  10  16         38:59          28
181. FC Kaiserslautern                  32         4   11  17         21:47          23

Bundesliga Matchday 32 - Fixtures and Preview

 Nine points are still available during the last three games of the 2011/12 Bundesliga season.  While mathematically FC Bayern could still obtain the top spot, practically this is impossible, without a total collapse of Dortmund.  Dortmund has gone undefeated in the last 25 games.  Dortmund should officially wrap up the league championship this weekend when they host Borussia MoenchenGladbach.  FC Bayern will be concentrating on leg two of the Champions League final next Wednesday in Madrid.  When Bayern plays in Bremen on Saturday don't expect the regulars to play much of the game.  Jupp Heyncke will give them a rest prior to next week's return match.

Gladbach and Schalke are separated by one point and both teams are looking for a direct entry into the Champions League next season.  Gladbach will have the most difficult task in Dortmund, while Augsburg is no pushover either for Schalke.  Augsburg is four points from a relegation spot and will want to  build on that cushion.  The battle to escape relegation continues for Freiburg, Hamburg, Augsburg, Koeln and Berlin.  Kaiserslautern will be playing in 2nd Bundesliga next year and can only hope to have a few good performances prior to its departure.  Kaiserslautern will travel to Berlin.  Hertha needs a win to keep its hopes alive.

Freiburg plays in Hannover, while Koeln host a powerful Stuttgart team.  Hamburg travels to Nuernberg.  The Franken have all but saved their retention in the Bundesliga.

In the 2nd Bundesliga, Greuther Fuerth, which put up a robust fight against Dortmund in the German Cup semi-final, is guaranteed promotion to the top flight, along with Eintracht Frankfurt.  The fight for third spot in the second flight and a relegation qualification game will be fought for by three teams, Paderborn, Duesseldorf and FC St. Pauli.  Former long time Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC is in danger of relegation to the third flight.

The fixtures for this coming weekend and the table are below. 

 20.04.2012, 20.30    FSV Mainz 05 -    VfL Wolfsburg                              0-0 
21.04.2012, 15.30    1. FC Nürnberg -    Hamburger SV                             (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 15.30    Hertha BSC Berlin -    1. FC Kaiserslautern               (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 15.30    1. FC Köln -    VfB Stuttgart                                       (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 15.30    1899 Hoffenheim -    Bayer Leverkusen                     (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 15.30    Werder Bremen -    Bayern München                          (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 18.30    Borussia Dortmund -    Bor. Mönchengladbach          (-:-)   
22.04.2012, 15.30    FC Augsburg -    Schalke 04                                        (-:-)   
22.04.2012, 17.30    Hannover 96 -    SC Freiburg                                       (-:-)

Bundesliga Table
                                                    GP       W    D    L        GF/A        Pts
1Borussia Dortmund                    31      22    6    3         69:23          72
2Bayern München                        31      20   4     7         69:20          64
3Schalke 04                                  31     18   3   10          66:41          57
4Borussia Mönchengladbach       31     16   8     7          46:22          56
5VfB Stuttgart                               31     14   7   10         56:41          49
6Bayer Leverkusen                       31     12   9     9          47:41          45
7Hannover 96                               31     11  11    9           39:43         44
8Hoffenheim                                 31     10  11  10          38:40          42
9Werder Bremen                           31     11    9   11         44:50          42
10Wolfsburg                                 32      12   5   15         42:56          41
11FSV Mainz 05                           32        9  11 12          47:48          38
131. FC Nürnberg                         31      11   5   15         33:42          38
12SC Freiburg                               31        9    9  13         41:56          36
14Hamburger SV                           31        8  10  13         34:55          34
15FC Augsburg                             31         7  12  12         34:48          33
161. FC Köln                                  31         8    5  18        36:65          29
17Hertha BSC Berlin                      31         6  10  15        37:57         28
181. FC Kaiserslautern                  31         3   11  17        19:46          20

Bayern Defeats Madrid 2-1 With Ribery and Gomez Goals

Bayern started slow and Real Madrid initially dominated the match and were the better team in the first 15 minutes.  As the game progressed, Bayern improved their game significantly.  The remaining 30 minutes saw a balanced match with good chances on either side.

Ribery opened the scoring in the 17th minute.  After a corner kick,  Real was unable to clear the ball out of the penalty area.  The ball bounced to Ribery, who drop kicked it into the net for a 1-0 lead.  The goal obviously heightened Bayern's self confidence, as they continued attacking the Madrid net, with excellent combinations.

From the start of the second half, Madrid noticeably ramped up the tempo.  Madrid's efforts paid off in the 53rd minute  when Ronaldo appeared in front of Bayern goal unchallenged, but was stopped by Manuel Neuer.  The Bayern defence was unable to clear the ball and Benzema fired it at the goal post.  The rebound came  to Ronald who lobbed the ball into the middle, where Mezil Oezil easily put it in the net for a 1-1 draw.  Mueller replaced Bastian Schweinsteiger in the 61st minute. 

After the tying game, Madrid seemed to be content to start the second leg with an away goal.  Bayern kept pushing for a winning goal and it paid off in the 90th minute, when Lahm moved around Contrao and delivered a pass into the penalty area, where Gomez was in place to transport the ball into the net.

Bayern had to battle through three minutes of extra time to maintain their lead.  The Bayern win was fully deserved, since Madrid was content to lay back after Oezil's goal.  Bayern moves into the second leg with a goal advantage.  It will take a strong effort on their part to win the aggregate. 


FC Bayern:  Neuer- Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba - Gustavo, Schweinsteiger (Mueller 61st) - Robben, Kroos, Ribery - Gomez 

Real Madrid:  Casillas - Arbeloa, Pepe, Roma, Contrao - Alonso, Khedira - Di Maria (Granero 80th), Oezil (Viera 69th), Ronaldo - Benzima (Higuain 84th)