Position
If everything goes to form then Bayern will be champions again and not only Tayfun Korkut is sure of that. FCB have 68 points from 28 games in a season where many experts said they were beatable as never before. However, Ancelotti's men proved to be wrong and now have a ten-point lead over second-placed RB Leipzig. Bayern are also determined to win the Champions League but they did suffer a disappointing 2-1 defeat on their own turf against Real Madrid in the quarter-final first leg on Wednesday night.
Personnel
There is more talk about the personnel situation now than for many a long day. Above all, Robert Lewandowski is irreplaceable as top scorer and even if the Poland international recovers from a shoulder injury by Saturday he will be unavailable to Ancelotti due to a one-match ban. Mats Hummels is also probably ruled out with an ankle injury. However, beware of a Plan B like Boateng.
Potential
When Real Madrid regret allowing a player to go to FC Bayern then that demonstrates the quality of individual players in the FCB squad. That refers to Arjen Robben as the former Real president Calderon would still like to see him playing in the Spanish capital. Robben, in addition to the suspended Lewandowski, is the outstanding player for Bayern at the moment and in the recent 4-1 victory against Borussia Dortmund he was joined on the other wing by Franck Ribéry. The duo have tormented opponents over the years.
Problems
The personnel situation has been discussed in detail. On top of that, there are the games against Real Madrid in the week before and the week after the clash at the BayArena. It cannot be ruled out that the Champions League quarter-final is the main focus for Bayern. On the pitch, Bayern have proved to be most susceptible in the opening 30 minutes of matches. They have conceded 9 out of 15 goals in the league during those phases of games.
Prediction
The treble is the big dream but even Pep Guardiola could not achieve it. Bayern have been waiting for a repeat of that ultimate triumph since 2013 under Jupp Heynckes and despite the home defeat against Real Madrid they are still in with a chance. The first title of the season is as good as sealed with the championship in reach even without the points against Leverkusen.
Decision made: Germany will submit a bid to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Munich. The representatives of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) voted for Munich over Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr at their extraordinary meeting in Baden-Baden on Saturday 26 September. Berlin had already withdrawn from the vote a few days earlier.
Show more
Former Werkself star Michael Ballack, who won the German Footballer of the Year award in 2002 while playing in Leverkusen, celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday. Bayer 04 sends him its best wishes!
Show more
A challenging start to what will hopefully be a long journey: The Bayer 04 women’s team kick off their new DFB Pokal campaign on Sunday (14:00 CEST) against second-division leaders FC Viktoria Berlin. Coach Roberto Pätzold expects stiff resistance in the capital – and is counting on his team’s strong away form in the Bundesliga so far this term.
Show more
Attention Werkself fans: In addition to tickets for the floodlit home match against Werder Bremen, tickets are now also available for the Bayer 04 women’s team’s two subsequent fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburger SV at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Both matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga will take place at family-friendly kick-off times on Saturday afternoons. Here is the latest information on matchday ticket sales.
Show more
