Bayern turn focus to Champions League clash with Manchester City

Pep Guardiola gave his men Sunday off in the wake of the hard-earned 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg, and the players made the most of the short break: some seized the chance to visit the Oktoberfest, others relaxed at home with their families. As a result, the stars looked fresh and energetic when they reported to the Säbener Strasse facility for training on Monday afternoon, the second-to-last session in the build-up to the eagerly-awaited Champions League clash away to Manchester City. “It'll be a great game. I'm looking forward to it, because it's a chance to show where we currently stand," said former City defender Jerome Boateng.

For the closed training session on Monday, coach Guardiola supervised a near full strength squad, lacking only long-term absentees Holger Badstuber and Thiago, and also Javi Martinez, although the Spain international is making good progress after groin surgery and went running on Monday. For the rest of the squad, the 90 minute session in the late afternoon included numerous routines based on match situations, demanding total concentration and passing at pace.

Paul Breitner to Phillip Lahm

"I see myself, watching Phillip Lahm, and he's playing the same style I did" - Paul Breitner

Reaction to Bayern v Wolfsburg

Pep akui, beberapa perkara dlm struktur squad bayern perlu diperbaiki untuk menjadi sebuah pasukan yang betul-betul mantap.

Pep Guardiola came across as not entirely pleased with what he saw. “We’ve won the match, but we have to improve in some areas,” the Spaniard commented. Thomas Müller confirmed it had been “anything but a stroll”. 

However, and at the end of the day, Munich deservedly took the three points: “It was a very good showing from us in terms of fighting spirit,” the match-winning goalscorer said.

Interview with Luiz Gustavo

Luiz, welcome back to Munich! How are you feeling about running out at ‘your’ Allianz Arena in a VfL shirt?

Luiz Gustavo: It'll certainly be very different compared to a normal away game. I had two and a half seasons with Bayern, and now I'm back as a member of the opposing team. But it's also a very good feeling. We're playing against an extremely good team, and that's exactly what you want as a footballer. On top of that, I'll meet up again with a lot of the friends I made during my time with Bayern.

Nantikan pertembungan Gustavo dengan rakan-rakan lama di Bayern Munich.

MiaSanMia

Magical Muller seals crucial win over Wolfsburg

Bayern showed a great patience to overcome stubborn and well-organised VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday. Thomas Müller was the hero on the day with the match-winning second-half goal as FCB extended their unbeaten league run to 32 games.

Bayern struggled for first-half openings as the hard-working visitors set out their defensive stall, but the home side hit the gas in the second half and Müller opened the scoring with just over an hour played. It was never vintage from the treble winners, but the win was the important thing on the day.

Müller’s moment of magic

Once referee Dr Jochen Drees whistled play underway, the home side seized the early initiative and the first chance fell to Shaqiri from Pizarro’s superb back-post headed lay-off, but the Swiss starlet failed to connect and ’96 keeper Ron-Robert Zieler smothered the loose ball. FCB kept up the pressure and took the lead on 17 minutes through Müller’s deft and typically unconventional finish, the Germany star using his chest to turn Pizza’s curled cross over the line.

Huszti cracked the first chance after the restart wide of the target, with Müller getting underneath his shot at the other end, Zieler beating away Shaqiri’s drive, and van Buyten heading wide from a free-kick. But it needed an injection of pace, and Ribery replaced Pizarro in the 62nd minute, although it was Müller who made it 3-1 two minutes later when he stretched to prod home Shaqiri’s wickedly curling free-kick from a well-worked set piece.

Müller almost added another direct from Hannover’s kick-off, before Alaba came on for Schweinsteiger.

Selamat Pagi Malaysia - Guten Morgen

Selamat pagi and Guten Morgen buat semua fans FC Bayern Munchen di Malaysia. Dah bersarapan ? Sarapan apa pagi ini ?

Semoga pagi yang ceria hari ini.

MiaSanMia !

Momentum building at Guardiola's Bayern

The momentum in German football is with Bayern at the moment. After a settling-in period, the 2013/14 version of the team are building up a head of steam, scoring goals and winning matches with increasing assurance. FCB beat Hannover 2-0 in the league, eased past CSKA Moscow 3-0 in Europe, thrashed Schalke 4-0, and defeated Hannover again on Wednesday 4-1 in the DFB Cup, as Pep Guardiola’s side begin to piece together a good-looking run of results. “I think we can be very pleased with our recent performances,” commented captain Philipp Lahm, “we’re definitely heading in the right direction.”

Reaction to Bayern’s cup victory over Hannover

Pep Guardiola: “We played very well, but in the last ten to 15 minutes of the first half we lost our shape. I’m surprised at the way we played in the second half. It’s our mentality, we just kept attacking. We’ve won a tough game against a great team. I’m surprised by Hannover’s performance. It’s not possible to win trophies with only 11 players. We have lots of good players and all of them are good enough to start.“

Claudio Pizarro: “If we take our chances, we’re tough to stop, but we didn’t play very well after going 2–0 up. We might be able to afford that against Hannover, but against the really big names, the kind of carelessness we showed after going 2-0 up can be fatal.“

Happy Birthday Rummenigge

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was born in Lippstadt, Germany 25 September 1955.

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag

Bayern benam Hannover

Bayern meneruskan rentak cemerlang.

Bayern successfully negotiated the second round of the 2013/14 DFB Cup on Wednesday night with an assured 4-1 victory over Bundesliga rivals Hannover in the first of two home games during the famous Oktoberfest. Munich, with five new faces in the starting line-up, had the game under control for all but a brief spell at the end of the first half, and slowly but surely turned their superiority into goals as the match wore on.

FC Bayern ready for Hannover 96

“The cup competition in Germany is very, very dangerous. One bad game and you’re out,” remarked Pep Guardiola. However, in the light of his team’s recent convincing displays, the head coach is confident: “We’re ready for it.“

Quotes of the day

“It's nice to see so many people when you drive round the city. Women in Dirndls, men in Lederhosen. It's really nice. I like it. Beer and party.“
(Pep Guardiola at Tuesday’s press conference, talking about his impressions of the Oktoberfest)

“He’s one of the best goalkeepers in history. I’m sure he’s one of the best on planet football.”
(Pep Guardiola on Manuel Neuer)

Alianz Arena: Intensive turf maintenance

More than a million visitors swarmed the Oktoberfest on the first weekend as the hugely-popular festival got off to a fairytale start. However, the fairground hosting the annual event in Munich is not the only busy location in the city, because the Allianz Arena is staging six matches in no fewer than 15 days.

The phase that started on 14 September with Bayern's Bundesliga match against Hannover is unlike anything the Arena has ever before experienced in eight years of operations. The game against the men from Lower Saxony was followed by the Champions League match against CSKA Moscow (17 September) and will continue with another game against Hannover in the DFB Cup on Wednesday (25 September). This will be followed by the Bundesliga meeting with Wolfsburg (28 September), marking Bayern’s last match of the phase. The remaining two fixtures feature TSV 1860 Munich as the home team, with FCB’s rivals having entertained Aue (21 September) and now gearing up to meet Dortmund in the cup on Tuesday (24 September).

The two DFB Cup ties (1860 v Dortmund on Tuesday, and FCB v Hannover on Wednesday) are the highlights of the ‘frantic fall’. However, Arena CEO Jürgen Muth is not concerned, as he confirmed: “It's not the first time we’ve had two games in two days.” The last occasion was in September 2009, and this season there are two more weekends scheduled to have both 1860 and Bayern play at home (once in December, once at the end of March). “The DFL knows we’re capable of managing the heavy load.”

FC Bayern getting better from week to week

Home fans had long dispersed, and the gleeful cries of “Schalke, null vier”, or “Schalke, zero-four," were coming from the away section, as the travelling support celebrated Bayern's crushing 4-0 victory over the Royal Blues. The impressive win meant FCB neatly marked the start of the 180th Oktoberfest by pulling level with leaders Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga table.

“That was our best game in the Bundesliga so far," enthused coach Pep Guardiola afterwards, saying he was “pleased and proud" with his players following a fifth win in six league fixtures. “We're improving from match to match, we're getting better from week to week," agreed Jerome Boateng after Munich's biggest ever win in Gelsenkirchen.

Reaction to Schalke v Bayern

Pep Guardiola: “That was our best Bundesliga performance of the season so far. We totally dominated one of the strongest teams in Germany. We did very well. I’m satisfied and proud of this performance and my players.”

Bastian Schweinsteiger: “We took it very seriously from the start, our mentality was right. We were determined to take all three points. It’s not easy to come here and win, so we’re doubly delighted about doing just that. We were definitely very good at times.”

Jérôme Boateng: “We’re improving with every game. We dominated possession and our passing was excellent.”

Kevin-Prince Boateng (Schalke): “It’s hard to beat a team as good as Bayern. We made too many errors, and Bayern will always exploit that. Their passing and positional play is outstanding. It’s hard to get into the game. We had our chances, but you never win if you don’t take your chances.”

Neuer clean sheet record

Last weekend, Manuel Neuer became the youngest goalkeeper ever to keep the  100 Bundesliga clean sheets.

The best legendary goalkeeper in the making now.

MiaSanMia

Impressive win with Lederhosen-look

On the first day of the Oktoberfest, Bayern wore their Lederhosen-look away strip on the road for the first time and celebrated a special day in the Bavarian calendar with a crushing Bundesliga victory away to Schalke, as the impressive treble winners extended their unbeaten league run to 31 games and went joint top of the standings with a fifth win in six matches.

The 61,973 capacity crowd at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen saw a breathless opening with chances at both ends, before the Reds hit the Royal Blues with a double whammy midway through the first half, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Mandzukic heading the visitors into the driving seat. FCB comfortably dominated their stunned opponents after that and could have increased the lead before and after half-time, but the visitors were content to keep the men in blue chasing shadows for long spells and waited until 15 minutes from time before Franck Ribery wrapped up the points once and for all, sub Claudio Pizarro adding the fourth with five minutes to play.

The imposing victory takes FCB joint top of the standings on 16 points from six matches, level on points with Dortmund after BVB’s 1-1 draw away to Nürnberg earlier in the day, and one ahead of third-placed Bayer Leverkusen. Pep Guardiola’s side return to action on Wednesday when they entertain Hannover, Bundesliga opponents last weekend, in the DFB Cup second round.

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Battle of the Brothers Boateng

Many Boateng family members will be watching the game live in the stadium. There have only been two previous matches in which the brothers went head-to-head: For twelve minutes in the Bundesliga, with Jérôme for Hamburg and Kevin-Prince for Dortmund in April 2009, and once over the full 90 minutes at the 2010 World Cup, in a group stage meeting between Germany and Ghana. Jérôme won the latter. “I’m ahead In competitive matches,” Jérôme said.

After more than three years, the two now finally meet again on the sacred turf. The verbals between the two, who are in contact “nearly every day” according to Jérôme, have increased in intensity recently. Kevin-Prince quipped that his brother lacks attacking quality – but Jérôme fired back that his brother’s “left foot is a bit weak.” The kind of banter presumably last heard on the football pitch next to the gently flowing river Panke.

FCB on a roll against Schalke

Bayern travel to Schalke with the proud boast of having scored in all of their last 42 Bundesliga matches, setting a new record. The last time Munich completed a Bundesliga match without scoring was a goalless stalemate against Mainz in April 2012. However, Schalke are no slouches either in this regard: the Royal Blues have scored at least once in their last 33 Bundesliga home fixtures, with just one exception - against Bayern in September 2012.

Bayern have only lost one of their last eight league matches against Schalke (five wins and two draws). The Bavarians have nosed ahead in their away record against the Royal Blues and now hold a favourable position (13 wins, 18 draws, 12 defeats). However, the overall record against Schalke is heavily in the Reds’ favour: of the 86 matches played, Bayern have won 43, with Schalke only winning 18. The points have been shared 25 times.

Neuer: We'll do all we can to win

“I think it will be a challenge to beat Schalke, especially considering they’re on a roll,” said Neuer. He has played four times against the Ruhr Valley team since his transfer to Munich in 2011, and all of the games went in Bayern’s favour, with Neuer conceding not a single goal. In total the Bavarians have won their last five matches against Schalke, scoring 14 goals and conceding only one.

However, none of this matters on Saturday. “We know Schalke are performing very well at the moment,” explained the Bayern keeper, calling on his team-mates to do “everything we can to win it,” following two impressive victories at Veltins Arena in the past two seasons. However, if Bayern were to think it will be a “simple kick-about, we’ll be shown how wrong we are,” the Germany international cautioned.

MiaSanMia

Bayern Injury Update

Mario Götze, Javi Martínez, Thiago, Holger Badstuber and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have been watching Bayern’s latest games from the stands. They feel the ebb and flow of the play, and cheer on their team-mates, but none of the men on the injury roster is currently fit enough to play. All are working their way through sports rehabilitation programmes, aiming to resume squad training as soon as possible.

The most positive developments relate toMario Götze and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, as both are close to the end of sports rehab. The pair are currently working out individually with the ball, but if all goes according to plan, Götze and Hojbjerg should be able to join in parts of the squad workout in a couple of days. Götze turned an ankle in the Super Cup against Chelsea some three weeks ago, while Hojbjerg damaged ligaments while appearing for the reserves four weeks prior to that.

Javi Martínez will be out of action for a little while longer, as the Spaniard underwent surgery two and a half weeks ago to fix a persistent groin problem. Martínez is off crutches and has begun stamina-building running. “I’m feeling better with every passing day. I hope I can be back helping the team very soon,”

Dental surgery for Javi

Martinez is also working out in the performance centre on a series of stabilisation routines and strength-building exercises. No date has been set for the defensive specialist to resume the team programme, because this will depend on how quickly the affected groin recovers from the operation. Everything is going according to plan at the moment, although the player cannott train on Thursday and Friday due to dental surgery.

Javi’s fellow countryman Thiago, who underwent surgery on 26 August to repair an ankle injury, will wear a protective boot as planned for the next three weeks. The summer signing will commence his sports rehab programme after that. However, Thiago is still reporting daily to the Säbener Strasse facility, working on stabilisation and mobility with the club’s fitness coaches. He is also working out in the weights room, performing strengthening exercise aimed at rebuilding the muscles in his injured and uninjured legs.

Cruciate ligament victim Holger Badstuberis currently in the USA. The Germany international will undergo a last round of surgery on his damaged knee in the last week of September, before gradually taking up his sports rehab programme.

Robben played his 500th game

Arjen Robben played the 500th game of his professional career agains CSKA Moscow. 

Reaction to Bayern v CSKA Moscow

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “This team has real quality, and we have complete faith in the players. We know they’re always capable of a performance like this. Today, they’ve picked up where they left off in London against Dortmund: with a top-class performance.“

Pep Guardiola: “We played well, especially in the first half. I’m very, very pleased, and very proud about this performance. The first match after you’ve won the Champions League is never easy. Everyone thinks it’ll be simple, but it’s never easy at this level.”

Philipp Lahm: “We’re pleased because we were up for it right from the start and played with plenty of aggression.”

Bayern expect "complex" task against CSKA

Opponents CSKA are by no means to be underestimated, as they won the Russian double last season and are undefeated so far this term. “It'll be complex. They’re a physically strong team," warned Guardiola. Russian teams can be extremely dangerous at this early stage of the season, as the domestic league begins in mid-July and clubs have plenty of games already under their belt.

“They have good individuals, but their greatest strength is unity and determined team play," commented captain Lahm. Bayern naturally intend to counter that with their own well-known strengths, “and make sure we take three points straight away," commented Toni Kroos, “we laid the foundations for last year's success in the group stage." Nor have the players forgotten just how much 25 May 2013 meant to them, the club and the fans. “We know how good it was," said Neuer, “and we've set our sights on the same target."

CL: Bayern Munchen vs CSKA Moscow

Game info:

Malaysian time 02:45 am 18.9.2013

Live at Astro Channel 811 & 833 HD

Bastian Schweinsteiger

My heart is here and my heart is Red ! he is nevertheless still something of an enigmatic figure.So apart from his enviable trophy haul, including six Bundesliga crowns, six DFB Cup winners' medals, two DFL Ligapokals, two German Supercups, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup title, what else is there to discover more.

World Cup next year may be ?

MiaSanMia

Robben + Ribery = Robbery in Action : Dangerous Duo

The first incident after the restart was a scramble in the Bayern box, but Boateng blocked well and the danger was cleared. From the breakdown, FCB raced up the field and took a 51st-minute lead: Ribery, Robben and Kroos combined superbly to leave Mandzukic with the simplest of finishes. The champions had the bit between their teeth, but Müller’s effort was blocked at point-blank range, Van Buyten fired over the bar, and Müller shanked a 15-yard shot wide of the far upright.

The men in white and brown continued to press and Ribery made it two on 64 minutes, slotting home the rebound after Zieler could only push away Robben’s angled drive. Hannover heads stayed up for now and Ya Konan forced Neuer into a diving save, before Dante came on for Boateng, and Alaba drew a good stop from the alert Zieler.

Mirko Slomka describes about Manuel Neuer

Question: In 2006 you made Manuel Neuer the number one keeper at Schalke. Did you expect him to come this far?
Slomka: “Manuel came with the most important attributes: Talent, determination, confidence and a strong personality, thanks to his supportive family. I was certain he was ready to play in the Bundesliga. His will to win makes him strong. So I’m not surprised how far he has come. He’s managed to turn his potential into results. I’m always happy when I meet him, because he has stayed modest and down to earth. Manuel Neuer is made to lead teams capable of winning titles.”

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Reaction to Bayern vs Hannover

Pep Guardiola: “All the teams in the Bundesliga are very, very good, as Hannover proved today. We were a little risk-averse in the first half. In the second half, we played better after the opening goal from Mario Mandzukic. Now we’re looking forward to the Champions League.”

Franck Ribéry: “We didn’t do very well in the first half. It's always difficult after an international break. It was a lot better in the second half - we had more energy, our movement was better, and we scored the goals. At the end of the day we’ve won, and that was important!”

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Manual Neuer 100th clean sheet record

Manuel Neuer played today his 100th Bundesliga match without conceding a goal 

Congratulation ! Rummenigge still remain as ECA Chairman.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is re-elected as chairman of the European Club Association (ECA). The FC Bayern executive board chairman was re-elected unopposed to a new two-term in the ECA post at the association’s General Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday. Rummenigge has headed up the organisation representing the interests of 214 leading European clubs from 53 countries since January 2008.

ECA masih menaruh kepercayaan kepada Rummenigge untuk menerajui keanggotaan 214 kelab utama di Eropah.

MiaSanBayern

Bayern on a roll against Hannover

If the stats were the only factor in football, Hannover 96 would not bother travelling to Munich. The club from Lower Saxony has played in Munich 24 times - and 21 of those matches ended in the Bavarian club’s favour, with two draws. Hannover emerged victorious just once, nearly seven years ago on November 8th 2006, when they beat Bayern 1-0. Munich have won the last six home games against ‘96, with an impressive 25 goals scored to just two conceded. The last meeting in Munich ten months ago ended in a 5-0 victory for Bayern, with Javi Martínez, Toni Kroos, Franck Ribéry, Dante and Mario Gomez on the scoresheet.

Bayern promise a full throttle meeting with Hannover 96 tomorrow

Robben promise to be full power from the very first minute. The team has prepared an immediate switch from internationals to the Bundesliga.

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