Schalke disappoints with a 1-1 draw against PAOK

Schalke 04 only managed a 1-1 draw in their Champions League qualifying match against PAOK.  Despite overwhelming possession in the first half, Schalke only managed a single goal in the 32nd minute by Jefferson Farfan.  PAOK came out in the second half ready to battle and was able to penetrate the Schalke penalty box.   In the 73rd minute the disappointment was there for the Schalke fans when Miroslav Stoch got the equalizer for the Greek.  

 

It took Schalke sometime in the first half to get their feet and it was also only during the first three minutes that PAOK got three corners.  After that it was all Schalke in the first half, but PAOK was defending resolutely.  When PAOK had possession the ball barely made it across the midway line, with inaccurate passes and lack of good coordination.  However it took Schalke 32 minutes to net the ball for its only goal by halftime. 

In the 32nd minute Szalia received the ball in the penalty area, but had trouble controlling it.  With presence of mind he pushed the ball to his right toward Jefferson Farfan.  He fired at the net with his left foot and pushed it inside the far post for the 1-0 Schalke lead.

 

 Two minutes earlier, in the 30th minute, Jermain Jones fired over the  net from about 30 meters distance.

 

PAOK performed better in the second half and were able to break into the Schalke penalty box several times.  In the 73rd minute Miroslav Stoch found some room on the left side and moved into the centre unhindered.  His shot with his right foot moves directly into the far corner of the net.  Timo Hildrebrand had no chance. 

Schalke's troubles continued when Jefferson Farfan was carried off the field in a stretcher and went directly to the dressing room.  He was replaced by Teemu Pukki in the 87th minute.

Unfortunately Schalke did not sew up the game in the first half when they had the chance and PAOK was able to hang on to the draw and goes into the second leg in Greece with the advantage of an away goal.  

 

Schalke's troubles continue with two Bundesliga and one Champions League match in the books, Schalke has managed 1 loss and two draws.  The Royal Blues have a lot of work ahead of them.

 

Schalke:  Hildebrand - Howedes, Uchida, Fuchs, Matip - Matip, Meyer Clemens (69th), Draxler - Hoeger (Goretzka) Jones , Farfan (Pukki 87th) - Salai

PAOK:  Jacobo - Miguel Vitor, Lino, Tziolis, Stoch - Lawrence (Kace 60th), Lazar, Katsouranis, Kitsiou, Lucas (Oliseh 90th) - Salpingidis (Athanasiadis 60th)

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

FC Barcelona vs Chelsea 2-2 - How Chelsea's Strategy Paid Off

Last Wednesday the Blues pulled off a remarkable win at Stanford Bridge, setting the stage for what promised to be a sure comeback by Barca at Camp Nou.  After all Barca had had 83% ball possession and the Chelsea goal appeared to be a stroke of luck.  Not so, there was disappointment by football fans around the globe, when Chelsea pulled off an upset victory yesterday at Camp Nou. 

Busquets got the go ahead in the 35th minute for Barca, which pointed toward a determination by Barca's star line up to win.  37 minutes into the match, John Terry was send off, leaving Chelsea to play shorthanded for 53 minutes.  To add insult to injury Iniesta made it 2-0 in the 43rd minute, which seemed to settle Chelsea's fate.  Hard defensive work, with a limited amount of counters paid off at 45+1 when Ramires narrowed the score to 2-1 just before the half.

In the second half Chelsea kept the rear tight and a few faux pas by Barcelona, including a missed penalty shot by Messi and a few more spoiled attempts at goal, finally gave the aggregate success to Chelsea.  Fernando Torres, who was subbed in the 80th minute, finally gave the final blow to Barca with his breakaway goal in injury time, making the comeback complete.  Chelsea did the unbelievable and defeated what is arguably the best  team in Europe, if not the world.  How did that happen?

Sepp  Herrberger, the post World War II coach of the 1954 World Cup winning team once said, "A game lasts 90 minutes and the ball is round."  In other words, "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched." 

Chelsea's game strategy was a strong defence with limited counters.  That strategy worked.  Barcelona was unable to jump out of its box, continuing to try to penetrate and almost impregnable defence with short passes in very tight areas.  While it permitted them to break through occasionally it wasn't what was needed against Chelsea.  A few longer passes, shots from the distance and spreading out Chelsea's defence may have been a little more effective.

After watching the last three Barca games, two against Chelsea and the Spanish league match against Real Madrid, it is clear that Barca's strategy changes little.  It is hard for the team to go out of the box and adjust in what has been a successful strategy.  The other team managers noticed too. 

Chelsea, with just 28% of overall ball possession, took on a giant with defence and breakouts.  It is hard to argue that that strategy didn't work.

Chelsea Depite All Odds Defeats FC Barcelona 1-0

After yesterday's FC Bayern's win over Real Madrid with goals by Ribery and Gomez, today Chelsea hosted FC Barcelona at Stanford Bridge in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.  Frank Lampard, Chelsea manager said it was all about "Belief" prior to the match.  Chelsea started the match as the underdog.  In their respective leagues Chelsea is sixth in the English Premier League, while Barcelona is second, trailing Real Madrid in the Spanish league.  Real and Barca meet this weekend in a head on head matchup in league play. 

Barcelona started the match as the dominant team with a ball possession of 83 to 17%.  In the 9th minute Alexis Sanchez hit the crossbar after the ball came to him with a lofty pass from Iniesta and there was no one between him and Cech.

While Barcelona was the dominant team in the first half, Chelsea create plenty of opportunities and their counters eventually paid off in 45+2 minutes.  Frank Lampard stole the ball from Messi and send a long pass to Ramirez on the left side who pushed it to Drogba who transported the ball into the net for an unlikely 1-0 Chelsea lead.

Although Barcelona had more passes, more ball possession and put the pressure on Chelsea, the Spaniards were unable to penetrate and when they did they were stopped by Chelsea's keeper Cech.
Even the three free kicks that were executed in the first 75 minutes, two went into the wall set up by Chelsea and one went well over the net.

In exta time Chelsea's lucky star shone once again when Barcelona hit the post just before the final whistle.  It was definitely Chelsea's night.

Despite 71% ball possession and Chelsea seldom venturing into Barcelona's half, the English side managed to defend successfully to maintain the lead in the second half.  A well defended lead, which gives them a one goal advantage for the second half.


Chelsea:  1.  Cech - 2. Ivanovich 3. A. Cole 24. Cahill 26. Terry 7. Ramos 8. Lampard 12 Mikel 16 Raul Meireles (Bosingwa 88th)10 Juan Mata (Kalou 74th) 11 Drogba

Barcelona:  1. Victor Valdes, 2. Daniel Alves, 5. Puyol, 4. Fabregas,(Alcantara (79th) 6. Xavi Hernandes, (Cuenca 87th) 8. Iniesta, 14. Mascherano, 16. Busquets, 21. Adriano 9. Alexis Sanchez (Rodriguez 67th) 10. Messi

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)

Champions League Group of 16 Draw

The stage is set for the Champions League Group of 16 competition, which will be played as a knock out.  Teams will play an away and home match during the periods 14-22 February 2012 and 6-14 March 2012. 

Bayern Muenchen should be able to get beyond the Group of 16 with its fortunate draw of FC Basel.  The operative word is "if" though.  After all FC Basel knocked Manchester United out of the competition.  Bayern will have to remain focused, even though they emerged the winner against Basel in the qualification round 3-0 and 2-1. 

Bayer Leverkusen drew FC Barcelona and Leverkusen's fans will see stars like Messi and Xavi and Iniesta.  David Villa will be out with an injury.   Barca is the clear overwhelming favourite.  Regardless, the games need to be played and surprises are always possible. 

Chelsea drew Napoli and all bets are off in that competition, while Arsenal meets AC Milan.   CKSA Moscow drew the other power house Real Madrid and Marseilles is matched with Inter Milan.

The Matches for the Group of 16:

FC Basel vs Bayern Muenchen

Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Barcelona

Olympic Lyon vs APOEL Nicosia

SSC Napoli vs Chelsea

AC Milan vs Arsenal

CSKA Moscow vs Real Madrid

Zenit St. Petersburg vs Benefica Lisbon

Olympique Marseilles vs Inter Milan

Champions League - Manchester City vs Bayern Muenchen Preview

Wednesday will see the clash of two league leaders when Manchester City hosts FC Bayern Muenchen in Group A Matchday 6 play.  While Bayern is already qualified for the Round of 16, Manchester City, which has taken a five point lead in Barclay's cannot pass to the Round of 16 without the help of  Villareal.  City presently holds third place in Group A with 7 points, with Napoli holding second with 8.  Villareal has not won a single game. 

Bayern comes to Manchester, having recovered from two successive losses to Borussia Dortmund and Mainz 05, with a weekend victory of 4-1 over Werder Bremen.  Manchester City leads the Premier league with five points, having defeated Norwich 5-1 on the weekend. 

Although Bayern has already qualified, the match is a matter of confidence building.  Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes will have the challenge to continue to build the flow of play from the midfield to the strikers, a skill that has been lacking since the absence of Bastian Schweinsteiger due to a broken collar bone.   Defeating Manchester City will also be a matter of prestige and confidence building.  Bayern will want to continue on its winning ways at Eastlands on Wednesday.

Manchester City's recent games include a 1-1 against Liverpool and wins over Arsenal (1-0) and Norwich (5-1).  Manchester will line up at Eastlands with a full slate, while Bayern still has Bastian Schweinsteiger and Breno out of action.   The absence of Schweinsteiger, Munich's on pitch leader and midfield director, has been a particular problem for Jupp Heyncke's.  Toni Kroos and Arjen Robben did not travel to Manchester due to the flu.   This will have an impact on the outcome.  Bayern's strength is its bench and not unsolveable for Heyncke.

Boateng will be returning to the Eastlands to face his former teammates,  an opportunity to show his stuff as a Bayern first stringer.  




While it is difficult to predict the outcome, one thing is certain, the clash of the two league leaders will be a demonstration of two top notch teams from England and Germany.   This is a must win for City and a matter of prestige for Bayern.  A City win is no guarantee to move on to the Group of 16.  A miracle is needed in the Napoli/Villareal match.

Prediction - This will be a close match, but Manchester's survival in the Champions League is at stake.  City has to go for it from the start.  Expect quick counters by Bayern.  2-1 Bayern.

Bundesliga Matchday 14 Fixtures and Preview

Bundesliga Matchday 14 will be played between Friday 25 November and Sunday 27 November 2011.  The most anticipated match this week will be Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04.  After last weekends successful match over Bayern Muenchen, Dortmund will attempt to gain three points from Schalke 04, which is in fourth place with 25 points.

Dortmund, after its victory in Munich, lost a decisive match against Arsenal in Champions League Group stage competition.  The loss has eliminated the BVB from the knock out round of the final 16.  Dortmund was  handicapped by devastating injuries of Mario Goetze and Bender, two key players, early on in the match.   Bender, who was taken directly to a hospital in London, required surgery for his broken jaw and will not be available for play until at least January.  In Goetze's case, the knee is apparenlty alright, but there are some problems with the muscles surrounding the knee.  Whether or not Goetze is available for Saturday's match is not clear at this point.

Playmaker Mario Gotze could also miss the meeting of the Ruhr valley rivals after picking up a knock just above the knee against Arsenal.
"Dortmund will be without Bender until January," the club said on Thursday after the 22-year-old underwent a three-hour operation in London.
"Gotze's derby participation is also in doubt [but] the medical staff are hoping he can be fit for Saturday."

FC Bayern plays in Mainz on Sunday, a match they should win easily.  Nothing, however is for sure in the Bundesliga.  Mainz, which has been struggling of late, has only 12 points and is just placed above the relegation zone. Don't look for an easy win by the Bayern club. Munich won its Champions League Match against Napoli and has qualified for the knock out round.

Leverkusen is guest in Berlin this weekend and a win is a must, if Leverkusen is to maintain contact with the top six in the league.  Berlin will want to build on its recent success and continue the climb up on the table. Leverkusen defeated Chelsea with a last minute goal during Champions League play yesterday.

South Baden's SC Freiburg has had its share of difficulties this year as well.  They will mount an all out effort to defeat Hoffenheim in an attempt to move out of the relegation zone.  Hoffenheim will want a victory at home.

Augsburg with only one win on its sheet for their debut season in the Bundesliga, hosts VFL Wolfsburg.  With only eight points on its sheet, Augsburg needs to win if they are to have any chance of surviving in the Bundesliga.

Another high profile match is the Werder Bremen hosting VFB Stuttgart.  The teams occupy fifth and sixth place respectively.

Matchday 14 promises to be another drama filled week.  The quest for the top of the league continues.  Will Bayern be able to extend its lead and will Dortmund be able to overcome the loss against Chelsea and be successful without Bender and possibly Goetze?  Can Augsburg break the mold and walk away with a win?   No matter how it all ends, get ready for another exciting Bundesliga weekend.

25.11.11,20.30     1. FC Köln     -     Mönchengladbach      0-3
26.11.11,15.30     1. FC Nürnberg     -     Kaiserslautern     1-0
26.11.11,15.30     1899 Hoffenheim     -     SC Freiburg      1-1
26.11.11,15.30     FC Augsburg     -     VfL Wolfsburg      2-0
26.11.11,15.30     Borussia Dortmund -    Schalke 04      2-0
26.11.11,15.30     Hertha BSC Berlin     -     Bayer Leverkusen      3-3
26.11.11,18.30     Hannover 96     -     Hamburger SV      1-1
27.11.11,15.30     Werder Bremen     -     VfB Stuttgart      (-:-)
27.11.11,17.30     FSV Mainz 05     -     Bayern München      (-:-)

Bundesliga Table: 


                                                                                  GP  W  D  L     GF/A        Pts
       

	1 Borussia Dortmund 14 9 2 3 29 : 9 29 2 Borussia Mönchengladbach 14 9 2 3 23 : 9 29 3 Bayern München 13 9 1 3 32 : 5 28 4 Schalke 04 14 8 1 5 28 : 20 25 5 Werder Bremen 13 7 2 4 23 : 21 23 6 Bayer Leverkusen 14 6 4 4 20 : 19 22 7 VfB Stuttgart 13 6 3 4 20 : 13 21 8 Hannover 96 14 5 5 4   18:22 20 9 1899 Hoffenheim 14 5 3 6 16 : 16 18 10 Hertha BSC Berlin 14 4 6 4 21 : 22 18 11 1. FC Köln 13 5 1 7 20 : 29 16 12 VfL Wolfsburg 14 5 1 8 19 : 28 16 13 1. FC Nürnberg 14 4 3 7 14 : 24 15 14 Hamburger SV 14 3 5 6 18 : 26 14 15 1. FC Kaiserslautern 14 3 4 7 10 : 18 13 16 FSV Mainz 05 12 3 3 6 16 : 23 12 17 SC Freiburg 14 3 3 8 19 : 30 12 18 FC Augsburg 14 2 5 7 12 : 24 11

Bundesliga Clubs - Champions League Matchday 5

On Champions League Matchday 5 Group Stage three Bundesliga Clubs were in action.  FC Bayern continues to dominate Group A, after defeating Napoli 3-1 and has qualified for the top 16 knock out round.   Leverkusen's last minute goal over Chelsea  gave the Bayer factory team an important win ndin the final group game they will meet Genk, which lost to Valencia 7-0.  Chelsea will host Valencia. 

Leverkusen's fate is in its own hands, a draw between Chelsea and Valencia would move both teams ahead of Leverkusen by goal for goal against difference.  While Leverkusen can move on with a tie, a win against Genk is the best scenario. 

Dortmund, although doing extremely well in the Bundesliga, has found out that the Champions League is not the Bundesliga.  Besides putting extra pressure on the club, the win over Bayern Munich on the weekend seems to have taken its toll on the young team.  Early in the match against Arsenal both Goetze and Bender had to be substituted due to injuries.  Taking two key players out of the team also took its toll.  This is not to take anything away from the Gunners, who put on a superb performance in the Emirates.  Arsenal were able to do what Munich couldn't last Saturday, they penetrated Dortmund's defence.  My hat is off to the Gunners. 

With Dortmund's Champions League Adventure over, the team can now concentrate all their efforts on the Bundesliga.  Several of Dortmund's players play with the national side.  Goetze, Bender, Hummels will continue to see international play.  If there present performance in the Bundesliga continues, they will have another go at the Champions League next year, with a little more experience.

Bayern Muenchen and hopefully Leverkusen will continue to represent the Bundesliga in the Champoions League.  The rubber will hit the road with the knock out round. 

Champions League Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund Preview

Bundesliga Champion and presently second seated Borussia Dortmund will be guest at the Emirates Stadium in a return Champions League match against Barclay's Premier League's seventh seated  Arsenal.  Their previous encounter in Dortmund ended in a 1-1 draw.

Dortmund just fresh from a contest in the Allianz Arena in Munich, defeated the Bundesliaga in a highly dramatic match 1-0.  Mario Goetze got the winning goal.  Dortmund's side will be a better side than Arsenal met in Dortmund.   The German side, which presently hangs on to third place in Group F with 4 point, desperately needs a win, if they are to have a chance of advancing to the knock out round.  A little help from Olympiakos is also required.

 Arsenal leads Group F with 8 points and a win today, would qualify the team for the knockout round, although first place is not guaranteed.  The Gunners have won ten of their last twelve matches while Dortmund has won 7 of their last nine.  Dortmund has lost both away games in the Champions League, a 3-0 loss in Marseilles and 3-1 in Athens.

The Gunners have won their last five home games against German teams.  Dortmund's balance against English teams is also respectable.  In 1966 they defeated West Ham United 2-5 and later that year Liverpool in the final.  In 1996/97 Dortmund defeated Manchester United twice by a margin of 1-0.  Dortmund is pumped up for this match, especially after the away victory against FC Bayern.  Mario Goetze has had clear that the team knows that the Champions League is not the Bundesliga, but the team feels prepared to take on the Gunners.

No matter what the outcome, it will be a test of Van Persie taking on a tight Dortmund defence.  Munich last Saturday had difficult breaking down Dortmund's defence and putting their midfield to good use.  Persie will probably be covered closely.

On the Dortmund side Goetze and Kagawa are always good for a couple of goals when it counts, as is Lewandowski.  The Gunners will have to keep them in check to ensure a win.  Arsenal's German defender Mertelsacker will be familiar with the Dortmund side and will be a valuable asset.

Dortmund will be well motivated to survive the Group stage.  No matter how the match ends, it should be a delight for Arsenal fans when the Bundesliga once again challenges the Premier League.  Cut your nails before the game.

Starting Line-Ups 


Arsenal

Szczesny - Koscielny, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, André Santos - Song - Walcott, Ramsey, Arteta, Gervinho - van Persie

Dortmund

Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Felipe Santana, Hummels, Schmelzer - S. Bender, Kehl - M. Götze, Kagawa, Großkreutz - Lewandowski

FC Bayern Qualifies for Knockout Round with Goals by Ribery and Gomez

Bayern grabbed the bull by the horn right from the start and started pushing for an early goal. Villareal for the most part asssumed a defensive role and made some major mistakes right from the start.  After Bayern's loss on the weekend to Bundesliga rival Borussia Dortmund, a win in this game would be a confidence builder.

Munich's efforts paid off early on when Villareal's Marchena placed the ball directly on Toni Kroos' feet.  Kroos, almost in a reaction, pushed the ball to Ribery who lobbed the ball from about 15 meters out over the head of Lopez into the net.  1-0 Bayern.

25 minutes into the match Gomez doubled the score, when Tymoschuk fired a shot from about 25 meters and hit the goal post.  Gomez hussled for the ball and pushed it into the net for a 2-0 lead.

Villareal didn't play dead though.  Five minutes into the second half Kroos misplaces a pass and Oriol picks it up moving up the completel left side of the pitch and from the corner passes the ball into the six metre area.  deGuzman, not covered by anyone,  fires the ball into the far corner, narrowing the score to 2-1 Bayern.

Bayern upped the score in the 69th minute, when Kroos put a perfect pass into the path of Ribery, who out maneouvers Lopez and puts the ball into the net.   3-1 Bayern.  

Bayern was the dominant team in this game and the victory is more than deserved.  Good effort by the team, especially Ribery stood out in this match.  Bayern will be in the knockout round.  Manchester City lost it's match against Napoli.  Bayern meet Manchester City next, but has already secured a berth in the knock out round of 16.


Line Ups:

Bayern: Neuer..Rafinha..Boating..vanBuyten..Lahm..Tymoshchuk..Alaba..Robben..Kroos..Ribery..GomezSubs:  Butt..Contento..Pranjic..Luiz..Gustavo..Olic..Petersen..Muller

Villareal:
Lopez - Gaspar, Gonzalo, Musacchio, Catala - Bruno, De Guzman - Perez, Valero, Oriol - Ruben

Champions League - Preview FC Bayern Muenchen vs Villareal

Matchday 5 goes on Tuesday November 22nd.  In four games FC Bayern has been able to edge out a six point lead in Group A.  Villareal, currently with no points, will be traveling to the Allianz Arena in Munich, while Manchester City travels to Napoli.  Kick off is at 20:45 CET for both matches. 

Bayern, which prior to this weekend looked like it may be a run away leader in the Bundesliga, lost to defending Bundesliga champion in a close match on a goal by Mario Goetze.  The match looked destined to be a scoreless draw, but Dortmund's defence closed the door to Bayern and relied on quick counters.  The strategy paid off.  Munich still retains a two point lead in the Bundesliga, but is far from a runaway leader now. 

For the match on Tuesday, Bastian Schweinsteiger is still on the injury list, with a broken collar bone, Arjen Robben, who played against Dortmund did not impress.  Ribery, Mueller and Kroos are available, as is Tymoschuk, who was banned for a red card during league play. 

Mario Gomez has been hot or cold this season.  During the Dortmund game, he seldom made use of the opportunities presented to him.  If he is hot on Tuesday he could be key to a Munich victory.  Mueller, Kroos and Ribery are bound to take a few more shots on goal as well. 

With four straight defeats,  Villareal has the worst record in its nine-year Champions League  history. The team  has also lost their last four away matches in UEFA club competition.

Villareal goes into the match with a dismal record of four losses and a goal deficit of minus 8. Villareal has little chance of making it past the Group stage, there is pride at play though. Villareal just comes off a hard fought victory against Real Betis this weekend, which may give the impetus to take the fight to Munich. 



                                    GP    W     D      L     GF/FA      Points
FC Bayern                    4      4      0      0       8-3         12
Manchester City           4       2     1     1        6-4           6
Napoli                           4       1      2     1       6-5           5
Villareal                        4       0      0     4       1-9           0 

While one should not count his chickens before they're hatched, the contest in the Allianz Arena looks like a victory for FC Bayern.  Munich will want to wrap up Group A, with only one game remaining in Manchester, against City. 

The game in Manchester could be do or die for City, depending on the outcome for the English side in Napoli.

Look for Bayern to push for an early goal.  Jupp Heynckes will expect a better game flow than they demonstrated against Dortmund.  Despite the odds being stacked for Munich, always remember the wise words of Sepp Herberger, the first postwar coach of the German National side, "The ball is round and a game lasts 90 minutes."