Euro stars Bayern, Dortmund set to rotate
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) –
Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller scores his second goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on April 23, 2013. Bayern and Borussia Dortmund get back to Bundesliga business on Saturday, fresh from their midweek Champions League semi-final triumphs, and with both teams set to rotate their squads ahead of the return legs.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund get back to Bundesliga business on Saturday, fresh from their midweek Champions League semi-final triumphs, and with both teams set to rotate their squads ahead of the return legs.
With Bayern having long-since been confirmed as league champions and Dortmund eight points clear of the chasing pack in second, both teams can be forgiven for being preoccupied by their forthcoming trips to Spain.
Bayern romped to a 4-0 win over Barcelona at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Tuesday and goalscorers Thomas Mueller, who netted twice, Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben can all expect to sit out the home match against Freiburg.
Borrusia Dortmund celebrate a goal during the match against Real Madrid on April 24, 2013. Dortmund are at strugglers Fortuna Duesseldorf on Saturday night with right-back Lukasz Piszczek out of the game and is struggling to be fit for Tuesday’s return match in Madrid with a groin injury.
On Wednesday, Dortmund followed the Bavarians’ example by flooring Real Madrid 4-1 at Signal Iduna Park with Poland striker Robert Lewandowski becoming the first player to score four goals in a Champions League semi-final.
Despite their 20-point lead in the league and seven Bundesliga records broken, captain Philipp Lahm has said Bayern are eager for a few more.
“We want to crack one or two more records, we don’t want to let up,” said Lahm, ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final, second-leg at Barcelona.
Bayern need just one more point to claim the record for the most points in a league season, as their current tally of 81 points matches Dortmund’s record haul from last season.
With four games left, Bayern are 12 short of beating their own record of 101 for the most goals in a season, set in 1972.
Having conceded only 14 goals all season, they are also on course to break their own Bundesliga record of 21, from 2007/08, for the fewest goals leaked in a campaign.
Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann gestures during a Bundesliga match on April 21, 2013. Freiburg, fifth in the league, are looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats to VfB Stuttgart in the German Cup, then the league, and need points to keep their dreams of a European place alive.
Freiburg, fifth in the league, are looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats to VfB Stuttgart in the German Cup, then the league, and need points to keep their dreams of a European place alive.
But coach Christian Streich admits they will have their work cut out with Bayern having scored 20 goals in their last four games.
“They will get one or two scoring chances for sure,” said the Freiburg boss.
“We go into the game with 0-0 scoreline.
“Normally, you can expect between five to eight goals, nevertheless, we’re not going to be depressed about it, it’s good to be in the same league as Bayern.”
Dortmund are at strugglers Fortuna Duesseldorf on Saturday night with right-back Lukasz Piszczek out of the game and is struggling to be fit for Tuesday’s return match in Madrid with a groin injury.
“He will definitely miss the Duesseldorf game and it will be tight for the Real match,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, with his team travelling to Madrid for Tuesday’s return match in the Champions League.
“We will definitely think about making one or two changes.
“I don’t know how many there will be, it will depend on how the players feel.”
Dortmund fans had to stomach some bad news on Tuesday when it was announced 20-year-old midfield star Mario Goetze will join rivals Bayern on July 1 having used a release clause in his contract.
Borussia are facing a fight to keep the key components of their squad together as Lewandowski’s agent has said the Poland star is set to leave Dortmund at season’s end, despite having a year left on his contract.
There is an intriguing race for fourth place, which carries a Champions League place, with four teams, Hamburg, Freiburg, Frankfurt and Borussia Moenchengladbach, all within two points of current occupants Schalke 04.
Schalke host Hamburg with Thorsten Fink’s team having won their last two games while Schalke suffered a nervous 1-0 defeat at Frankfurt.
Frankfurt are at mid-table Mainz on Sunday, while ‘Gladbach travel to Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Saturday
Bayern Munich v Freiburg, Bayer Leverkusen v Werder Bremen, VfL Wolfsburg v Borussia M’gladbach, Hoffenheim v Nuremberg, Augsburg v VfB Stuttgart, Fortuna Düsseldorf v Borussia Dortmund
Sunday
Mainz 05 v Eintracht Frankfurt, Schalke 04 v Hamburg