FCB - General Talk

[Oliver_Kahn]

Indeed, the Allianz Arena will be rocking to see us destroying them

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We have a score to settle with them.

We draw them twice last season, and they beat us in a friendly last month.

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The Allianz Arena crowd roared its approval of the new-look Bayern line-up during the team announcements ahead of Saturday’s opening Bundesliga match, and the 69,000 were on their feet again just 63 seconds into the game as the rampaging Reds produced the first of countless slick passing moves. By the time Miroslav Klose somersaulted in celebration of completing his brace and the 3-0 final score five minutes from time, the home support’s elation knew no bounds.

Bosses at the club noticed the difference. “There was a completely new atmosphere here today. There’s the feeling of a new era at the club. I think this team has a glorious future ahead of it,” chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declared following the sparkling opening day victory over Hansa Rostock.

Steep learning curve for Hansa

The clear-cut result was one thing, but the real reason for the smiles of delight and satisfaction afterwards was the manner in which a comfortable victory over the promoted club was achieved. High-tempo attacking moves set up three goals for the immensely promising strike pair of Luca Toni and Klose, with Bayern showing a range and fluidity of movement rarely associated with the club down the years.

“We were taught a nasty lesson today. We need to put the match out of our heads as fast as possible,” Hansa keeper Stefan Wächter reflected after making the saves which kept the margin of defeat within bounds for his side. The visitors failed to muster a single shot on target, handing Oliver Kahn one of his quietest Bundesliga afternoons ever.

Unpredictable Reds

“It wasn’t an easy game, but we were very focused. Compliments to the team,” commented Philipp Lahm. The Germany international provided the assists for both Klose’s goals (66, 85) as he and fellow full-back Marcell Jansen frequently thrust forward down the wings. “We’re not as predictable as we were last year. We pose a threat from all over the field now. Our opponents don’t know who to close down, which is ideal. We’re all capable of scoring goals,“ Mark van Bommel told fcbayern.de.

Franck Ribery’s willingness to switch sides and positions bestowed a new élan to a Bayern side which often looked sluggish last term. The France star also set up nine shooting chances for his team-mates. “I like the freedom, switching from left to right and getting plenty of time on the ball. It’s a real boost to my confidence,” the dynamic Frenchman mused, “my aim is to enjoy myself and entertain the fans.“

Hitzfeld for more defensive discipline

Even the hard-nosed Ottmar Hitzfeld must have been thrilled by his side’s display, although the head coach was giving nothing away in public. “We’ve done our job. We’ve earned three points, and nothing more,” he insisted on Sunday, identifying areas in which his side needed to improve. “We overdid the power-play at the start. We charged forward en masse and invited our opponents to hit us on the break. It could all have gone horribly wrong,“ the General thundered.

Munich will soon face stronger teams than promoted Rostock. “We have to think harder about our defensive discipline,” Hitzfeld warned. The new Bayern take on opponents of a very different calibre nest weekend in a crunch trip to Bremen. “We’re not yet at our peak. We’ll have to improve if we want three points in Bremen,” the coach admonished, “it’ll be a real test of our credentials.”

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Bremen ohne Borowski gegen Bayern

Die Verletzungssorgen bei Bayerns nächstem Bundesliga-Gegner Werder Bremen werden nicht weniger. Nach Torsten Frings, Frank Baumann, Aaron Hunt, Pierre Wome, Dusko Tosic, Carlos Alberto und Ivan Klasnic ist nun auch noch Tim Borowski verletzt. Der deutsche Nationalspieler erlitt am Samstag beim Auswärtsspiel in Bochum (2:2) eine Blessur des Außenbandes im linken Knie und droht, insgesamt mehrere Wochen auszufallen. Gute Nachrichten gab es hingegen am Sonntag von Carlos Alberto, der nach überwundenen Adduktorenproblemen ins Training zurückkehrte.

More bad news for Bremen, but on the other side, good news for Bayern.

Bremen will be without Borowski against Bayern.

Tim Borowski now joins the list of injuried players, which consists of Torsten Frings, Frank Baumann, Aaron Hunt, Pierre Wome, Dusko Tosic, Carlos Alberto and Ivan Klasnic.

Good news for Bremen is however the return to training of Carlos Alberto.

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FC Bayern München's star ensemble top the Bundesliga table after the first matchday. The new topstars have created an atmosphere of optimism.

It wasn't the expected win over promoted FC Hansa Rostock, it was the way Bayern played.

Especially in the first 20 minutes Bayern played at break-neck speed and with great desire and joy.

"There was a completely different atmosphere inside the stadium. There's an atmosphere of optimism in the club as a whole. I think this team has a great future", chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said after the 3-0 over Hansa.

Crosses, crosses, crosses

Mostly impressive were the consequent attacks over the wings - just like head coach Ottmar Hitzfeld had demanded.

Bayern put in 26 crosses (Hansa just 12). Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger were most active, both delivered five crosses each. You could see the joy both German internationals had during the match.

Ribery loves the freedom

Just like whirlwind Franck Ribery. Seven assists for goal attempts underline the good performance the Frenchman put in.

"I love to have the freedom to be on the left or right wing and get a lot of touches. That really makes me confident", said Ribery, who wants to "have fun and wow the fans".

Klose involved in all three goals

Miroslav Klose wowed the fans, too - not only because he scored twice. Klose also unselfishly set up Luca Toni for his Bayern debut goal in a situation most other goal-getters would have gone for goal.

"We're much more incalculable than last season. There's danger coming from everywhere. The opponents no longer know who they have to attack, that's important", Mark van Bommel analysed for Bayern's website.

Hitzfeld stays cautious

But despite all euphoria surrounding the new-found "goal machine" head coach Ottmar Hitzfeld preaches caution ahead of the classic away to Werder Bremen.

"We need to keep the defensive organisation in mind. We're not at the top level yet and we need to improve further to get three points in Bremen", the "General" pointed out.

Another attacking display against Werder - and maybe another 3-0 - would be an obvious statement in Bayern's bid to win a 20th Bundesliga title.

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After 70 minutes of Saturday’s match at the Allianz Arena, Luca Toni raised his left arm and nodded towards Miroslav Klose, who delivered an inviting cross towards the big Italian’s head. Toni came within a whisker of connecting, but was left sitting a touch ruefully in the Hansa Rostock penalty box, before getting up and applauding his German strike partner. The move exemplified a fine day for what Uli Hoeneß described as Bayern’s new “dream strike pairing”. Ottmar Hitzfeld later joined in the chorus of praise: “They looked for each other, and they found each other. It was a dream start.“

The deadly duo notched all three goals on the afternoon, an early strike for Toni and a second half brace for Klose, who also laid on Toni’s tap-in. “It’s good when strikers get off the mark in the first match, it takes the pressure off,“ Hitzfeld observed.

Instinctive understanding

The players’ individual track records pointed at goals to come, so the surprise on Saturday was evidence of an immediate and instinctive understanding between the pair. Toni and Klose had last played together 31 days earlier in a 4-0 warm-up victory over Schaffhausen, before the injury which sidelined the Italian for almost four weeks.

“I didn’t think it would work as well as that right from the start,” Toni admitted. “We combined well,“ agreed Klose, a lone striker for more than half the pre-season period and visibly invigorated by the presence of the big man at his side. “Miro exploded with Toni alongside him,“ Hitzfeld remarked, “he gained from Toni’s strength and physical presence in taking out opponents.”

Risk pays off

Toni was in fact a surprise starter at the weekend after resuming the squad programme just a few days earlier. “I spent a long time thinking over whether to field Luca Toni,” Hitzfeld revealed. The coach’s summary after 90 minutes was delivered with a smile: “I believe the risk we took in picking Luca Toni paid off.”

The striker is clearly not yet 100 percent fit, “but you’re always totally fired up for the first match, and it releases extra adrenalin. Luca gritted his teeth and ran further and harder than his current fitness would normally allow,“ Hitzfeld continued, “he was a constant threat and won a huge number of challenges. He always went looking for the ball.“

Unselfish Miro

Hitzfeld never doubted that his two top strikers would harmonise at an early stage. “I was sure it would go well,” he insisted. “In pre-season, we worked hard on sticking close to each other and looking to play one-twos,“ Klose revealed.

The pair played off each other admirably in their first Bundesliga match together, never better than in the 14th minute when Klose, with only Rostock keeper Stefan Wächter to beat, elected to square for Toni to slot home the opener. “That was incredibly unselfish. I was pleased with that,” Hitzfeld observed.

Classic Klose

“You’ve got to be delighted at having a partner as good as him,“ Toni commented afterwards, thanking the German for laying on his first Bundesliga goal and promising to repay the compliment. “Miro helped me score, and I’ll do the same for him in the future.”

Klose had plenty of reasons to celebrate even without an assist from his new partner, initially claiming a classic poacher’s goal after Wächter spilled a Philipp Lahm shot, and then bulleting a header into the net for Bayern’s third. There followed Klose’s first trademark overhead somersault goal celebration in a red shirt. “That’s something I’ve not done in a very long time, so it was good to find out if I still had it in me,“ Klose joked. It will surely not be the last piece of acrobatics from the player this term.

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On the eve of the Franz Beckenbauer Cup clash with Barcelona, the Bayern medical unit reported a mix of good and bad news. To get the bad news out of the way: Jose Ernesto Sosa is definitely sidelined for the meeting with the Spanish giants, with Miroslav Klose rated doubtful.

Klose sat out Tuesday training with a stretched tendon in his foot, and a question-mark now hangs over his fitness for both the Barcelona meeting and Saturday's showdown with the striker's former club Werder Bremen. "He'll have another medical," coach Ottmar Hitzfeld reported.

Poldi back in business

The General is definitely without Sosa against Barcelona as the Argentine is struggling with an ankle problem and can neither train nor play at the present time. "He won't be involved tomorrow," Hitzfeld confirmed, and the newcomer is also uncertain to feature on Saturday.

Tuesday brought good news too as Lukas Podolski trained with the team for the first time since surgery on a knee problem in late April, although the striker has not set a date for a return to match action. "Getting fit is all that matters for the moment," Poldi told fcbayern.de. The youngster joined Luca Toni for a stamina-building jog after Tuesday's official workout.

Ismael nears comeback

Valérien Ismael also had an operation in late April, a second round of surgery on a double fracture of the leg. The Barcelona match could see the Frenchman make his long-awaited comeback, a year to the day since his horrific training ground injury. "My gut feel is that tomorrow could be the night,“ he told fcbayern.de.

Ismael requires a final OK from the club doctor, but is confident of being given the green light. "I can run, jump and shoot without any trouble," he declared, after completing the full squad programme over the last few weeks.

Hummels out of plaster

Willy Sagnol, Jan Schlaudraff and Mats Hummels remain a little further off in terms of comebacks. Sagnol (knee surgery) spent Tuesday in a series of rehab exercises supervised by specialist coach Thomas Wilhelmi and fitness expert Zvonko Komes, while Schlaudraff (back) worked out in the weights room.

Hummels, who unluckily tore ankle ligaments in an accident at home, is back on his feet after a cast was removed on Monday, although he will be wearing a surgical shoe for the next four weeks. "I'll be fit to play again at some point in October," he informed fcbayern.de.

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Löw beruft vier Bayern-Profis

Vier Spieler des FC Bayern stehen Aufgebot von Bundestrainer Joachim Löw für das erste Länderspiel der Saison. Löw nominierte am Donnerstag Philipp Lahm, Marcell Jansen, Bastian Schweinsteiger und Miroslav Klose in seinen 20 Mann starken Kader für die Partie am kommenden Mittwoch im Londoner Wembleystadion gegen England. Lukas Podolski, der erst seit dieser Woche wieder mit der Mannschaft trainiert, muss nach seiner langen Verletzungspause noch pausieren.

Germany's national team coach Joachim Löw has called up four Bayern players for the prestigious friendly match against England in Wembley, on August 22nd: Philipp Lahm, Marcell Jansen, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose.

If Lukas Podolski was available, Löw would have undoubtely called him up aswell.

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Freundschaftsspiel bei den Grashoppers

Rund einen Monat vor dem Start in den UEFA-Pokal hat der FC Bayern noch ein internationales Freundschaftsspiel vereinbart. Am Dienstag, den 28. August, tritt der deutsche Rekordmeister bei seinem Schweizer Pendant Grasshopper Club Zürich an. Anstoß im Stadion Hardturm ist um 20 Uhr. Die Grasshoppers belegen derzeit, nach fünf Spieltagen, den achten von zehn Plätzen in der ersten Schweizer Liga, Trainer ist der ehemalige Kölner Hanspeter Latour.

Bayern has arranged yet another friendly match.

On Tuesday, 28th of August, Bayern visits Stadion Hardturm of hosts Grashoppers Zürich.

Match kicks off at 20.00h.

[ScaryJeff]

what the ....... ????

stupid friendlies. we'll have enough to do with ueafa cup and bundesliga. give the guys a break for a week.

[Oliver_Kahn]

The players will be exausted when we reach the winter break

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Yeah. I really hate those pointless friendlies.

[Poldi]

There will not plaly first XI, that will be test for subs. the first XI will be reast for league and UEFA Cup.

[Vargas_4]

Originally Posted by Trim17

Yeah. I really hate those pointless friendlies.

That makes 2 of us.