Starring roles for Kahn, Pizza and Poldi

FCBayernNews · News fetcher Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 1361 votes: 2

28.09.2006

Bayern's second Champions League group match was an evening for heroics and courageous performances. Alongside man of the match Andreas Ottl, skipper Oliver Kahn and goalscorers Claudio Pizarro and Lukas Podolski made weighty contributions to Munich's vital away win at the San Siro.

World-class Kahn

"It was important to win a big match away from home again. That should give the team the belief we need to push on from here," a satisfied Kahn declared afterwards. The 37-year-old keeper praised his team-mates' "discipline and organisation in a very clever team performance."

The three-time world goalkeeper of the year contributed two stunning reaction saves from Zlatan Ibrahimovic on 12 minutes and Hernan Crespo after 61 minutes to prevent his side falling behind. "You'll never stop opponents of this calibre creating one or two chances. You have to be totally awake at all times," he remarked.

Boost for Pizarro

Pizarro was assuredly wide awake when he netted on 81 minutes to hand his side a winning lead against the toothless home team. The strike was Pizarro's second in the Champions League this season, and he also fired the equaliser after Aachen took a shock lead in Munich last Saturday. The player, out of contract next summer and in the firing line for a second drink-driving offence within a year, will be heartened by the vital goals which have taken him to the top of the club scoring chart.

Poldi opens account

Podolski is just a single goal behind the Peru hitman. After what he himself described as "poor displays" against Moscow and Bielefeld, the summer signing lost his place in the starting line-up but came on as a late substitute against Inter, almost doubling Bayern's advantage with his first move, a mazy dribble round three defenders before a shot over the bar.

He went one better a minute later, latching onto Cordoba's suicidal back-pass before sealing the outcome with his weaker right foot, Poldi's first Champions League goal. "I scored with my weaker foot and blasted over with the stronger," the Germany international grimaced. "I was delighted when he scored. It was very important to him, it will boost his morale," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge observed.

Next test in Wolfsburg

"I never lost faith in myself. Obviously you need a bit of luck. It's gone in, we've won 2-0, and it's been a tremendous evening," Podolski commented. The next challenge for the triumvirate of Kahn, Pizarro and Podolski lies just over the horizon when Bayern travel to bottom club Wolfsburg on Saturday. "I'll only rate tonight's victory highly if we succeed in beating Wolfsburg on Saturday. That'll make it a significant week for the club," Kahn declared.

CR7

great result,poldi should be playing more