Tag: Bayern Munich

  • “Six Clubs Secure Spots in Champions League Round of 16 Ahead of Decisive Fixtures”

    “Six Clubs Secure Spots in Champions League Round of 16 Ahead of Decisive Fixtures”

    By Milcah Tanimu

    As the Champions League group stage reaches its penultimate round, six prominent clubs have already solidified their places in the Round of 16. Manchester City, Real Sociedad, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich have successfully navigated their respective groups, showcasing their prowess on the European stage.

    Manchester City and RB Leipzig clinched their spots in the knockout stage with convincing victories over Young Boys and Crvena Zvezda in the recent round of matches. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s emphatic 3-0 triumph against Braga has positioned them to top the group with a win or draw in their upcoming fixture against Napoli.

    Bayern Munich secured their progression as Group A winners after a commendable 2-1 victory over Galatasaray. The German giants continue to assert their dominance in European competitions.

    Real Sociedad and Inter Milan have also confirmed their places in the Round of 16. However, the battle for the top spot in their group will unfold in a highly anticipated clash when they face each other in Italy during the final game week.

    As the group stage nears its conclusion, football enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the remaining fixtures to determine the full lineup of teams advancing to the Round of 16. The Champions League continues to deliver thrilling encounters, setting the stage for an intense knockout stage.

  • Bayern Munich ready to offer over €100m for Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen

    Bayern Munich ready to offer over €100m for Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen

    Nigeria and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen is on the radar of some of Europe’s biggest clubs with Bayern Munich reportedly ready to spend over €100 million for his services.

    Edo state born Osimhen has caught the attention of Real Madrid with his form this season as he leads the line for Napoli.

    He scored just 10 goals in his debut season with Napoli, due to a spate of injuries and a bout of Covid-19 after Napoli spent a club record €81.3 million to lure the Nigerian from Lille to Naples.

    Now in his second year, the 22-year-old has now scored nine times in just 11 appearances for Napoli, with his latest arriving in last Thursday’s 3-0 demolition of Legia Warsaw in the Europa League.

    Now, Spanish newspaper, AS, say Osimhen has been in the minds of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, with the German club ready to dole out over €100m to land the Nigerian international at the end of the season, possibly as a replacement for the ageing Robert Lewandowski, who is also on the radar of Real Madrid.

    AS also reported that although Osimhen isn’t Real Madrid’s top transfer target, he could end up on the top of the list if the Spanish side fails to land its top-three targets, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Håland and Lewandowski.

    The newspaper reported that 33-year-old Lewandowski, whose contract expires in 2023, could request a transfer from Bayern Munich next summer as he seeks a new challenge away from the Bundesliga, where he has dominated for 12 seasons first in for Borussia Dortmund and now for Bayern.

    With Bayern not likely to see Lewandowski run down his contract, they will sell him and sign Osimhen as a replacement for Lewandowski.

    Bayern are willing to offer Napoli over €100m to land the Nigerian who had previously played in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg, according to the report.

    Scouts from Bayern and Real Madrid were at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on Sunday where Osimhen and Napoli were prevented from setting a record for the best start to a Serie A season as Roma held them to a goalless draw, thus preventing the Blues from wining a ninth straight opening league game.

    It was the first time the Naples-based club had failed to score in the league this season after a 100 per cent winning record in their previous eight matches.

    After the game, AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho, credited his players for stopping the in-form Osimhen.

    “The game had a lot of transitions in it – they tried to play really directly through Osimhen and then bring others into play around him,” Mourinho told Roma’s official portal.

    “[On Sunday] I liked the organisation, and the way we controlled, in a certain sense, because controlling him is far from easy – Osimhen’s attempts to get into space.”

  • RB Leipzig have better squad than Bayern Munich, Matthaeus says

    RB Leipzig have better squad than Bayern Munich, Matthaeus says

    German football great Lothar Matthaeus believes RB Leipzig will again be the biggest threat to Bayern Munich in this season’s Bundesliga and also boast a better squad than the champions.

    Bayern Munich kick off the new season at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday having taken RB Leipzig’s coach Julian Nagelsmann to Munich.

    “Bayern Munich have the best first 11. RB Leipzig have the best squad,” the 60-year-old said on Wednesday.

    “RB Leipzig will be able to “react best in crisis phases —- in cases of injuries, suspensions, game overload —- in my opinion.

    “That doesn’t mean that the best squad becomes champions, but Bayern Munich must hope that they are spared certain complications.”

    RB Leipzig’s new coach Jesse Marsch has lost defenders Ibrahima Konate to Liverpool and Dayot Upamecano to Bayern Munich but has gained striker Andre Silva from Eintracht Frankfurt.

    Bayern Munich are going for a 10th title in a row.

    But new coach Nagelsmann will be heavily relying on the fitness of almost 33-year-old Robert Lewandowski, who scored a record 41 goals last term.

    Matthaeus said he also “definitely” sees Borussia Dortmund as well as Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Gladbach as being “better positioned” than Bayern Munich squad-wise.

    “I expect it to be a sharp three-way fight at the top. If I had to commit myself, I’d say RB Leipzig will be even more dangerous for Bayern Munich than Borussia Dortmund.”

  • UCL Quarter final draw: Real Madrid vs Liverpool,  Bayern Munich Vs PSG

    UCL Quarter final draw: Real Madrid vs Liverpool, Bayern Munich Vs PSG

    The draw for the UEFA Champions League Quarter final has been revealed. 

    Holders Bayern Munich will face last year’s beaten finalists Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League, while Friday’s draw for the last eight also threw up a clash between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

    The draw also pitted Premier League leaders Manchester City against Borussia Dortmund, with Chelsea set to play Porto in the other tie.

    Bayern defeated PSG 1-0 behind closed doors in Lisbon last August to win their sixth European Cup and remain the team to beat in Europe, having won 18 and drawn one of their 19 games in the Champions League since the beginning of last season.

    The first leg is set to be played in Germany on April 6 or 7, with the return in Paris a week later.

    Meanwhile, the meeting of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Real is another re-run of a recent final, with the Spaniards beating the Reds 3-1 in Kiev in 2018 to win the last of their record 13 titles to date.

  • Lewandowski achieves another goal-scoring milestone

    Lewandowski achieves another goal-scoring milestone

    Robert Lewandowski scored his 250th Bundesliga goal in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win against Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

    Bayern striker Lewandowski reached the landmark with a header on the stroke of half-time to cancel out Maximilian Philipp’s early opener. He then struck early in the second half to earn the Bundesliga champions three points.

    READ ALSO: Aubameyang ends Premier League goal drought at Emirates Stadium

    The 32-year-old is only the third player in Bundesliga history to reach the landmark after Gerd Muller (365) and Klaus Fischer (268), but he is the first non-German to achieve the feat.

    Lewandowski required 332 games to hit the total, making him quicker than Fischer (460) but not as rapid as Bayern great Muller (284).

    The Poland international scored his first 74 Bundesliga goals across 131 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, with his 176 for Bayern taking just 201 matches.

    Lewandowski appears to prefer the comforts of home, with 150 of his efforts coming on his own patch compared to 100 in away games.

    It is not often Lewandowski finds himself on the bench, but in the 37 appearances he has made as a substitute, he has scored 16 goals.

    Of his 250 goals, 43 were left-footed, 164 right-footed and 41 headed, with two more scored with other parts of his body. There were 16 scored from outside the box and 234 inside, including 29 penalties.

    Lewandowski’s landmark effort was his 22nd in 20 Bundesliga games versus Wolfsburg, the most he has netted against any one opponent.

    The centre forward started his senior career in his native Poland with Znicz Pruszkow in 2006 before progressing to Lech Pozman two years later.

    Lewandowski was snapped up by Borussia Dortmund in 2010 and immediately helping the club to wn back-to-back Bundesliga titles in his debut campaign and the following season.

    He also spearheaded the Black and Yellows to the 2011-12 DFB Pokal Cup and to the 2012-13 Champions League final – which they lost 2-1 to Bayern.

    After helping Dortmund to compete against Bayern for four seasons, Lewandowski made the move to Germany’s biggest club in 2014, where he has remained for the past seven seasons.

    He has won the Bundesliga in every season he has played for Bayern, and finally lifted the Champions League last campaign when the Bavarians defeated PSG.

  • Thiago backed to repeat Bayern Munich success at Liverpool

    Thiago backed to repeat Bayern Munich success at Liverpool

    Thiago Alcantara is capable of replicating the success he enjoyed at Bayern Munich with Liverpool says Xabi Alonso, with the 29-year-old considered to be “one of the best midfielders” on the planet.

    Thiago was lured to Anfield from the Allianz Arena on the back of a treble-winning exploits in 2019-20 that were rounded off by a Champions League triumph.

    Liverpool’s capture of the talented Spain international was considered to be quite a coup. Thiago has, however, endured a frustrating start to his time in England.

    After offering glimpses of what he is capable of in early appearances, a bout of Covid-19 and an unfortunate injury picked up in the Merseyside derby with Everton have kept the experienced star stuck on the sidelines.

    Klopp is hoping to welcome Thiago back into his plans at some stage in the near future, with Liverpool managing their way through an injury crisis that has depleted their squad in almost every area.

    Alonso is among those looking forward to seeing another ball-playing option come back into contention for the Premier League champions, with the former Reds and Bayern midfielder a big admirer of a “fabulous” player following in his footsteps for club and country.

    “I have loved watching Thiago Alcantara, the way he has been able to connect with the attacking players, helping to defend with his special qualities,” Alonso, who tasted Champions League glory with Liverpool in 2005, told UEFA’s official website.

    “He’s a great friend, but above that, he’s become one of the best midfielders, and he’s a fabulous, intelligent, interesting, fun guy to be around in a training session and a dressing room.

    “He loves football; he shows that with his personality and with the way he plays. He’s able to connect with his team-mates very easily. He’s done it fantastically at Bayern, and I feel that he’s going to do it in the same way at Liverpool, and I love it.”

    Liverpool, who suffered a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atalanta on Wednesday, will be back in domestic action on Saturday when they take a trip to Brighton.

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  • England U21 boss Boothroyd says Bayern wonderkid Musiala could still choose Germany

    England U21 boss Boothroyd says Bayern wonderkid Musiala could still choose Germany

    England Under-21 manager Aidy Boothroyd admits the future of Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala is still undecided amid an ongoing battle with Germany over his international future.

    For now, the 17-year-old attacking midfielder has chosen to be with the Three Lions after his maiden call-up to the U21 side as the DFB have backed down in their pursuit.

    Despite having played for Germany at the U16 level, Maikel Schonwitz, head of youth coaches at the DFB, confirmed to Sport1 that Musiala recently rejected them.

    Musiala, who was born in Stuttgart and grew up in England, has a German mother and Nigerian father, making him also eligible for the Super Eagles. Boothroyd said it’s up to the teenager to decide his own international future.

    READ ALSO: Messi denied winner as hosts stay unbeaten

    “Nothing is written in stone and we are just doing what we would do with any other player at this moment in time,” Boothroyd said. “He is a good player who deserves to be stretched and that’s why he is in the U21 team.

    “After that, it is completely down to him. He has to get past the competition in terms of the players ahead of him [to reach senior level]. He needs to push himself further to grow to get into his club team in Germany. It won’t be an issue that he plays in that country so we want to create an environment that he flourishes in.

    “If he joins us, then great, but we can’t do too much about it.”

    Musiala’s breakthrough at Bayern has vindicated his decision to leave Chelsea as he became the European champions’ youngest Bundesliga goalscorer and appearance-maker in recent months. Boothroyd has quickly been impressed by the youngster’s first few training sessions.

    “He is a very, very talented player,” he added. “He has got very good feet, he can play off the left or right. Tactically, I have been really impressed at how quickly he takes things on. He has looked the part.

    “Watching him playing for his club, the younger teams and you get a clear idea of him. But having looked at him up close, he is probably not finished growing so there’s a lot to come from him physically but technically and tactically I have been really impressed.”

    The youngster has co-captained England at U17 level with Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham. The Bayern midfielder was looking forward to linking up with his close friend and fellow Bundesliga star before he got promoted to Gareth Southgate’s senior squad.

    “It has to be said that Jamal was really excited to get into the U21s but he had his best mate going out of the group in less than two days after Jude went into the senior players so some of the other players got around him and helped him to settle.

    “Without putting pressure on either of the guys, they are both in a system that allows players to grow if you do well which means you get opportunities, like Jude shows. That’s whether he comes back to us or not and he won’t be the last player to get into that senior area.

    “We are pleased for him and excited about what he can do in the future.”

    In Bellingham’s absence, Boothroyd said his former Blues teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi is helping him adapt to the group: “Callum, I have to say, is a very friendly character so like the other boys he has taken Jamal under his wing to help him relax and play his football.”

  • Bayern Munich boss Flick demands ‘100 per cent’ for Dortmund clash

    Bayern Munich boss Flick demands ‘100 per cent’ for Dortmund clash

    Hansi Flick expects the “whole world” to be watching when Bayern Munich and “exceptional” Borussia Dortmund lock horns in the Bundesliga.

    Bayern travel to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday for an eagerly awaited Klassiker battle between the top two.

    The European champions and Dortmund are level on 15 points at the summit, with Bayern only leading the way on goal difference.

    Bayern head coach Flick, who welcomes Leon Goretzka back from a calf injury but will have to do without Niklas Sule and Joshua Zirkzee due to recent positive coronavirus tests, knows Dortmund pose a huge threat.

    READ ALSO: ‘Solskjaer treading fine line amid Man Utd’s Pochettino links’ – Yorke 

    He said in a news conference on Friday: “Dortmund are an exceptional team. They have the best defence in the Bundesliga and extraordinary qualities in switching from defence to offence.

    “They have good players, not only [Erling] Haaland but also many others. They are very quick and we have to stop them by standing compact and defending well.

    “That’s why it is important that we as a team act just like we have in recent games. I’m looking forward to the match. These matches are the icing on the cake for everyone: Players, coaches, the staff and the fans.

    “Haaland is not the only player we have to pay attention to. The whole team needs to be at 100 per cent.”

    Flick knows the game will attract attention way beyond Germany.

    “Obviously you want to win the matches against Dortmund. It’s the German ‘Clasico’. Everyone is motivated,” he continued. “We all know that not only all of Germany is watching, but the whole world [too]. That’s what gives us extra motivation for this match.

    “We are as confident as ever in our qualities and that’s why we will try everything in order to leave the pitch as the winner on Saturday.”

    The build-up to the game has been slightly overshadowed from a Bayern perspective by the uncertainty over the future of David Alaba, after contract talks stalled.

    Alaba is being tipped to make his way to Liverpool during the January transfer window, with former Bayern Munich star Mario Basler seeing the Austrian providing cover for the injured Virgil van Dijk at Anfield.

    Basler said:  “Maybe he’ll go to Liverpool. They have big problems with the injury to Van Dijk and the cruciate ligament rupture. He’s supposed to be out for a long time, and I think there’s a big need to strengthen in the central defender position.”

  • Gnabry makes Arsenal ‘the favourite’ for any Premier League return but is loving life at Bayern Munich

    Gnabry makes Arsenal ‘the favourite’ for any Premier League return but is loving life at Bayern Munich

    Serge Gnabry has teased that Arsenal would be his preferred destination if he was to ever make a return to the Premier League, with the Bayern Munich winger making the Gunners “the favourite” to secure his signature.

    Gnabry spent five years on Arsenal’s books between 2011 and 2016, but was restricted to just 18 appearances and a forgettable loan spell at West Brom which saw Baggies boss Tony Pulis brand him “not at the level” for top-flight football in England.

    Those words will forever follow the 25-year-old around, especially as he has completed a remarkable turnaround by becoming a Champions League winner on the books at Bayern.

    READ ALSO: Spain boss confident Morata can deliver on international return

    “You always hear a little bit about it or people in the UK ask me about it,” Gnabry told CBS of Pulis’ jibe.

    “It looks like it won’t stop, all I can say is I’m proud of the journey I’ve taken.

    “To be a Champions League winner now when a couple of years back I was doubted is obviously a great thing for me.

    “Of course after having struggled a lot it was difficult to pick myself up. The biggest thing is that self-confidence, that I knew what I was capable of. I never lost that. Obviously, you doubt it at some points but I never lost it.

    “The second biggest point in that way is I was playing a lot, not having so many injuries, so many little things that kept me out of games. To just be consistent and being able to play every time, showing my performance helped me for the future. If I can play, I can show what I can do.”

    Gnabry rebuilt his career at Werder Bremen, landing him a move to the Allianz Arena in 2017, and he is now one of the most destructive forwards in European football.

    Those qualities may be sought out by other suitors at some stage in the future, with Gnabry admitting that Arsenal would be “the favourite” to take him back to the Premier League.

    For now, though, he is very much focused on the present.

    Having reached the top of the game, Gnabry insists that he would not change anything about his career path to date and considers his testing spell in England to have made him the player he is today.

    He added on leaving home to chase his dream: “Most of all it’s a test of character. You have to leave your comfort zone, your friends, your family. It helps you a lot in building strong character because you’re in some way by yourself or in a whole new environment.

    “It’s always good for young people. I would recommend them to do it.

    “I would do it over again if I was in that position because it helped my character a lot. You experience new things, also in other countries the leagues and teaching of football is also good. It’s never a wrong thing to move abroad.”

  • David Alaba responds to Bayern Munich’s retraction at press conference

    David Alaba responds to Bayern Munich’s retraction at press conference

    David Alaba conveniently was slated to appear at Bayern Munich’s pre-game press conference on the eve of their Champions League group stage fixture against the Austrian team RB Salzburg. But instead of the upcoming game against his compatriots, Alaba was asked about the bombshell dropped by Bayern president Herbert Hainer the night before: that FC Bayern was withdrawing its offer for the homegrown star.

    Alaba maintained that he himself heard about the retraction of Bayern’s offer from the news:

    “Disappointed is the word for it,” Alaba said. “I learned about it yesterday in the news. It was a special situation. What happens next remains to be seen. I haven’t thought it over yet.”

    READ ALSO: Dele Alli left frustrated by Jose Mourinho’s silence

    “Internal matters should remain internal. Presenting my person in public in this way does not correspond to the truth,” Alaba continued. “I was disappointed and hurt that the salary demands [attributed to Alaba in the press] were not officially denied.”

    Alaba declined to comment on any potential new clubs he may be targeting: “I’ve said that I’m happy to be here. I still have not yet thought about my future. Bayern was always my first contact. I haven’t contacted any other clubs.”

    Herbert Hainer’s ultimatum — despite the fact that Hasan Salihamidzic denied three weeks ago that Bayern would set one — apparently caught Alaba by surprise. “I didn’t know how they would act. I can’t constantly think about it with our full schedule,” he said.

    Fans have overwhelmingly been supportive of the club and critical of Alaba in light of the negotiations. Alaba acknowledged that: “I can relate [to the fans] and can understand that. I have a different perspective, however.”

    Alaba continued, “I’m very happy to play for Bayern I feel very comfortable and am happy to be a part of this team. I don’t know what will happen next. I have not been contacted by the officials.”

    TZ astutely notes that Bayern could have planned the surprise announcement well in advance: it is certainly a curious coincidence that on the very day after Hainer’s announcement that Alaba has to face the press and their now inevitable questions.