Bayern target winning start against Spartak

FCBayernNews · News fetcher Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 1240 votes: 2

11.09.2006

Bayern will feel at least a touch of pride as they embark on a tenth successive Champions League campaign this week, but the 2001 winners have rarely been in less bullish mood ahead of Europe's premier club competition. The talk at the club this season has less to do with the chances of winning the trophy, and more with simply surviving the group stage.

"We have to approach the Champions League with a degree of humility. We're no longer among the favourites. Bayern could only win the Champions League if everything was to go 1,000 percent right," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declared on the eve of Tuesday evening's opener at the Allianz Arena against Spartak Moscow.

Van Bommel set for home debut

"It's legitimate to expect us to make it to the knockout stage," coach Felix Magath acknowledged. For this to become reality, the Reds urgently require a victory at home to Spartak. "We're expecting a tough match, but we need all three points, because it's followed by two away games," Mark van Bommel remarked ahead of his home debut. "I'm really looking forward to it."

Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon round off the Group B line-up. "You can't afford to drop points at home in the Champions League," confirmed Roy Makaay, fired up ahead of the first European clash of term. "It's what we work towards all year round," the Netherlands goal-getter declared.

Podolski to make first start

The Reds were forced to roll up their sleeves and graft for their narrow Cup victory over St Pauli on Saturday, but Magath urged his men to improve the quality of their football against the East Europeans. "We'll be looking to attack and score as quickly as possible," he revealed. Lukas Podolski, with six goals to his name from his last three matches, is set for a first start at his new club. "Lukas is in good shape and hitting the target," Magath observed.

The youngster is likely to be joined up front by Makaay, despite the fact Magath has twice substituted the Dutch ace recently and criticised his lacklustre display on Saturday. However, the 31-year-old has a fine tally of 27 goals in 53 Champions League appearances. "I believe I'll be in the team," the player insisted, a point of view echoed by fellow-countryman van Bommel: "We don't have to worry about Roy, he's a superb professional."

Excellent record against Spartak

Spartak have been welcome opponents for Germany's leading club in the past: of six Champions League meetings, the Reds have won four and drawn the other two. In order to maintain that series, Magath called for "a top-class display. It would be much better to travel to Milan and Lisbon on the back of a win." Indeed, the modest target of a place in the knockout round would already assume tough proportions in any other circumstances.

Probable line-ups:

Bayern Munich: Kahn - Sagnol, Lucio, Van Buyten, Lahm - Salihamidzic, Van Bommel, Hargreaves, Schweinsteiger - Makaay, Podolski

Also in matchday squad: Rensing, Scholl, Santa Cruz, Demichelis, Pizarro, Ottl, Karimi

Spartak Moscow: Kovalevski - Jiranek, Geder, Stranzl, Rodriguez - Bystrov, Kovac, Titov, Mozart, Kovaltchuk – Pavlyutchenko

Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain)

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Mirage

kevh26

the team put forward there is definetly our strongest in my opinion, should win it comfortably

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I'd play Demichelis as defensive midfielder and play Hargreaves as RM instead of Salihamidzic... and then have Schweini on the left.

BMike86

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