UEFA Cup, MD5: FC Bayern München 6 - 0 Aris Thessaloniki

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V

UEFA Cup 2007/08, Group Stage, Matchday 5
FC Bayern München v Aris Thessaloniki FC

Stadium: Allianz Arena, Munich
Kick-off: Wednesday, December 19th 2007, 20.45h

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Defeat could spell disaster for both sides as FC Bayern München and FC Aris Thessaloniki look to secure their passage to the UEFA Cup Round of 32 in their final Group F game.

• Both sides have picked up five points in their first three Group F games and both will qualify in the event of a draw or indeed an SC Braga defeat in the evening's other Group F game between the Portuguese side and FK Crvena Zvezda.

• Bayern have played six games against Greek sides over the years and have yet to lose, winning four and drawing two. In Munich itself, they have won twice and drawn once but have not met a Greek team since the opening of their new stadium, the Fußball Arena München.

• Aris have never played a German side before.

• Aris coach Dusan Bajević has been involved in six games against German sides – two as a player and four as a coach – but he has to look back to September 1989 for his only victory to date, as his AEK Athens FC side beat 1. FC Dynamo Dresden – from the former East Germany – 5-3 in Athens. His other three games against German sides as a coach have all ended in defeats.

• Bajević's final games in European club competition as a player were against another East German side, 1. FC Locomotive Leipzig. His side, FK Velež – then representing the former Yugoslavia but now in the Bosnia-Herzegovnian league – drew 1-1 in both legs of their UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round tie in 1981/82, with Bajević scoring in the home tie, before losing out on penalties in Mostar.

• This will be his opposite number Ottmar Hitzfeld's first experience of Greek opposition.

• The two teams have never met in UEFA club competition.

• Bayern have not lost a UEFA Cup home game in over a decade, since going down 1-0 at home against FC Lokomotiv Moskva in the first round of the 1995/96 competition. They went on to defeat the Russian side 5-0 in the return leg en route to winning the trophy, beating FC Girondins de Bordeaux 5-1 on aggregate in the two-legged final.

• Aris have not won in their last six European away games since beating Servette FC 2-1 in the first round of the 1999/00 UEFA Cup.

• Bayern's Argentinian defender Martin Demichelis celebrates his 27th birthday on 20 December, the day after the game.

• Aris's Brazilian star Ronaldo Guiaro turns 33 on 18 December, the day before the game.

• Another booking would see Luca Toni suspended for his next UEFA club competition game, while Aris's Avraam Papadopoulos and Aurelio are in a similar position.

• Braga are at home against Crvena Zvezda in Wednesday's other Group F game.

• The draw for the Round of 32 and Round of 16 will be held in Nyon on 21 December from 13.00 CET.

uefa.com*-*UEFA Cup*-*Fixtures & Results*-*Match Specific

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World Cup winning hitman Luca Toni is poised to return for Bayern in Wednesday’s decisive UEFA Cup group encounter with Aris Saloniki. The Italian, ruled out of Saturday’s goalless draw in Berlin with a tight hamstring, successfully came through the Munich squad workout on Sunday. Defender Willy Sagnol is also back in training after shaking off a back problem.

“I’m hoping Luca can play,“ coach Ottmar Hitzfeld commented. Bayern cannot afford to lose Wednesday’s home match at the Allianz Arena, where a few seats remain unsold at the present time, as their survival in the competition would then be dependent on results elsewhere. Victory would see the men in red through to the knockout stages as group winners.

Aris return to winning ways

Midfield ace Mark van Bommel sat out the Sunday session after taking a knock in Berlin, but the Dutchman is not rated doubtful for the European tie. Oliver Kahn returns in goal after serving a one-match club ban, Hitzfeld confirmed.

In contrast to Bayern, midweek opponents Aris Salonika go into the tie on the back of a win. The three-time Greek champions defeated visiting AO Xanthi 2-0 on Saturday courtesy of goals from Nacho Garcia (63) and Felipe Sanchon (87) to go fifth in the Superliga. Aris thus put a stop to a mini-slump which brought three defeats in their three previous league outings.

All to play for in Group F

Saloniki are also not yet certain of their place in the UEFA Cup knockout round and could be eliminated from the competition in the event of defeat in Munich. Ahead of the final matchday, Bolton Wanderers lead Group F on six points after completing their fixtures. The Premier League side are followed by Saloniki (5), Bayern (5), Sporting Braga (3) and Red Star Belgrade (0), with only the Serbs definitely out of the running.

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Very, very crucial match.

We better win!!

[Vargas_4]

I won't be able to express my anger in words if we don't win this....

[Poldi]

Yeah we simply must win it!!!

[Oliver_Kahn]

A draw could perhaps qualify us, but this is a home match and we're playing the 5th team in Greece ?

If we win, we'll top the group, that should be enough motivation for the players.


Trim, any idea where this match will be televised ?
I really don't want to watch it via streaming..

[Vargas_4]

FC Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is spoilt for choice ahead of the UEFA Cup match against Aris Thessaloniki on Wednesday.

Mark van Bommel was back in team training on Monday, having shaken off a bruise.

Only Altintop and Jansen miss out

Luca Toni (thigh) and Willy Sagnol (back) had already reported back on Sunday.

The only absentees against Thessaloniki will be long-term injury victims Hamit Altintop and Marcell Jansen.

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Originally Posted by Oliver_Kahn

Trim, any idea where this match will be televised ?
I really don't want to watch it via streaming..

The match will be broadcasted live from those televisions:

Al Jazeera Sport +2
Alfa TV Cyprus
ANT 1
Pro 7 (Germany)
Pro 7 HD

This is for now, I'll check the list before the kick-off again, maybe there will be a few more channels.

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Gelbe Gefahr für Luca Toni
Luca Toni ist der einzige Spieler beim FC Bayern, der vorbelastet in das letzte Gruppenspiel des FC Bayern gegen Aris Thessaloniki geht. Der 30-jährige Torjäger wurde im laufenden Wettbewerb bereits zwei Mal verwarnt, sieht er am Mittwochabend gegen die Griechen eine Gelbe Karte, müsste er im Falle des Weiterkommens des FCB im ersten Spiel der nächsten Runde zuschauen.

Luca Toni risks a one-match suspension if he recieves a yellow card tomorrow against the Greeks. He has already collected two yellow cards, and another means he'd have to watch the next match from the stands. He's the only Bayern player risking suspension.

Debüt für Bayern gegen Aris
Die Partie FC Bayern gegen Aris Thessaloniki hat es bisher noch nie in einem europäischen Wettbewerb gegeben. Für die Griechen ist es sogar das allererste Mal, dass sie gegen einen deutsche Mannschaft spielen. Die Bayern hingegen standen bereits sechs Mal einer Mannschaft vom Pelepones gegenüber, dabei gab es vier Siege und zwei Unentschieden. Für Chefcoach Ottmar Hitzfeld ist es das erste Spiel gegen einen griechische Mannschaft.

Some interesting facts: Bayern are playing Aris for the first time. The Greeks are playing for the first time against a German team. Bayern on the other side, have played six times against a Greek oponent, with a record of four wins and two draws. For coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, it's the first time against a Greek opponent.

Israelischer Referee
Alon Yefet heißt der Mann, der von der UEFA zur Leitung des Spiels am Mittwochabend beauftragt wurde. Der 35-jährige Israeli wird dann zum ersten Mal eine Partie mit Beteiligung des FC Bayern pfeifen. Die Griechen haben hingegen bereits zwei Mal Spiele unter Yefet ausgetragen: Im Oktober 2003 beim 2:1-Heimsieg gegen Chisinau und September 2005 beim 0:0 gegen den AS Rom

Alon Yefet is the name of the man that will referee the match at Allianz Arena tomorrow. The 35-year-old Isreali has never refereed a match of Bayern before. On the other side, Yefet has refereed matches of Aris twice.

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The German edition of Bayern website has already published the match preview article.

Here's the match line-up, that they always expect:

FC Bayern: Kahn - Lell, Lucio, Demichelis, Lahm - Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, Zé Roberto, Ribéry - Klose, Toni

Also in matchday squad: Rensing, Van Buyten, Sagnol, Ottl, Sosa, Schlaudraff, Podolski

[Vargas_4]

Again, the damn line-ups

Like half of the Bayern squad is gonna end up leaving in the end...

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Toni is not 100% fit, but I somehow find it good news, because he has shown he plays much better and scores when not full fit than when he is full fit.

He hasn't scored for some time, and I do miss his gesture.

I hope tomorrow is the day he will do the gesture again. It better be.

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Bayern will spend Christmas atop the Bundesliga and have just 90 competitive minutes to play in the year 2007, but no-one at the club will entertain any thoughts of the festive season until after Wednesday evening’s European showdown with Aris Salonika, where victory would see the Reds finish the UEFA Cup group phase on top of the standings. “Winning the group would make it a perfect Christmas,” Uli Hoeneß commented.

A draw against the side lying fifth in the Greek top flight would see Bayern safely through to the knockout stages, but only as the second or third placed team in the section. The consequences of defeat are almost unthinkable: should Braga beat Belgrade in the parallel fixture, Germany’s most successful club would be dumped out of the competition.

Negative opponents, again

“Our clear target is to finish first,” coach Ottmar Hitzfeld intoned, “it brings so many benefits. In the Round of 32, you play a team which finished third in their group, with the first match away from home.“ The ‘reward’ for finishing second, on the other hand, is a tie against one of the eight clubs eliminated after the Champions League group phase.

Bayern are keen to banish such pessimistic thoughts as early as possible on Wednesday evening. “An early goal would be worth its weight in gold, it would relieve all the pressure,” Hitzfeld observed, although the Greeks are certain not to play ball on that score. The men from Thessaloniki were usually extremely defensive away from home, the coach remarked. “I’m assuming we’ll have to unpick a deep-lying defence.“

Ready to take risks

Bayern have struggled against teams employing exactly those tactics recently, with four goalless draws in their last seven league fixtures. The General called on his men to show “more ruthlessness in the box“ and “take more risks“ in their passing. “We want to play well for the crowd, and get back to scoring goals,” advised Luca Toni, “we’ll try and make it one of our greatest games.“

However, no-one is underestimating the midweek opposition. “Talk of minnows would be completely out of place. They have some good players, and they’ve already done well in the UEFA Cup,” warned Miroslav Klose. Like Bayern, the Greeks are undefeated in Group F with a win and two draws. “They run hard and tackle aggressively, they’re technically adept and capable of good football,” Hitzfeld commented, “the line-up includes plenty of Spaniards and Brazilians.“

Kahn, Lucio and Toni to return

It is the final match before the mid-season break, Hitzfeld reminded his players, “so we should give it one last, huge effort. The plan is to get at them early, not allow them to start playing, and give their defence plenty to do.“ In picking the line-up, Hitzfeld will be grateful for the return of a key trio: Oliver Kahn has completed his club suspension, while Lucio has completed a four-match ban, which in any case only applied to the Bundesliga. Finally, Toni has shaken off a hamstring problem.

“We’re the home team, and we should play to our strengths. That’ll win us the game,” a confident Klose insisted. A return to the goal trail, a win and first place in the group would be a fine early present for the crowd, “and we’d feel good about enjoying Christmas too,” Toni concluded.

Probable line-ups:

Bayern Munich: Kahn - Lell, Lucio, Demichelis, Lahm - Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, Zé Roberto, Ribéry - Klose, Toni
Also in matchday squad: Rensing, Van Buyten, Sagnol, Ottl, Sosa, Schlaudraff, Podolski

Aris Salonika: Chalkias - Neto, Ppadopoulos, Marco Aurelio, Ronaldo - Nemplegeras, Clavo, Garcia, Javito, Pritas - Koke

Referee: Alon Yefet (Israel)

[toni87]

must win game for bayern!