Champions League : Bayern gear up for Barcelona duel

Bavern are bidding to reach their third Champions League final in four years.

MUNICH:

Bayern Munich face a stern test in their bid to become the first German team to win the treble of European, league and cup titles when they host Spanish giants Barcelona in tonight’s Champions League semi-final, first-leg.

Having swept aside all rivals to win this season’s Bundesliga title, Bayern are bidding to reach their third Champions League final in four years, but Spanish champions Barcelona block their path to Wembley.

Coach Jupp Heynckes dropped a hint for today by incorporating both strikers Mario Gomez and Claudio Pizarro into a 4-4-2 formation, rather than Bayern’s usual 4-2-3-1 line-up.

Arsenal have proved Bayern are far from unbeatable in Munich with a 2-0 win as the Gunners lost the last-16 tie on away goals after the Germans’ 3-1 victory in London, but the hosts have belief in abundance.

“We are confident and we are assuming we will go through,” said Bayern’s director of sport Matthias Sammer, as the Bavarians claimed three more Bundesliga records at Hanover.



But Barcelona will be a significant step up from what Bayern have faced recently in the German league.

Star attacker Lionel Messi has not played since coming off the bench in the second-leg of Barca’s quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain on April 10, but is expected to start against Bayern.

Barcelona travel to Munich in the unusual position of not being overwhelming favourites and midfielder Xavi said he expects a battle royal in Bavaria.

“It will be brutal,” said Xavi. “Munich is a city which lives for football. It’s true FC Bayern are presently in stratospheric form, but Champions League games are often decided by nuances. We’ll give everything we have to get a good result in Munich.”

Bayern have no excuses for underestimating Barcelona after their 4-0 thumping at the Camp Nou stadium in the 2009 Champions League quarter-final, when Messi netted twice as Barca went on to win the title.

But Bayern coach Heynckes knows his side can ill-afford to focus on Barcelona’s individual players and need a good result in Munich before the return leg in Spain on May 1.

“Barcelona aren’t just about Messi, they have plenty of great players,” said Heynckes.

The hosts have their own stars and the manner in which they wrapped up the Bundesliga title with a record six games to spare commands respect.

Cesc Fabregas



“It appears there are people who want to make out that the league doesn’t count for anything, but that’s not the case, it’s a very important title. We have worked very hard.”

Jupp Heynckes



“The players are enjoying their football. We showed great discipline [in Saturday’s 6-1 win at Hanover 96’] and the players have proved we don’t have a B-team — we only have an A team.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2013.