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Tag: Bayern Munich

  • Well done Chelsea on signing Kai Havertz – Sane

    Well done Chelsea on signing Kai Havertz – Sane

    Bayern Munich signing Leroy Sane has declared Kai Havertz is on his way to Chelsea.

    Bayer Leverkusen star Havertz is subject of negotiations with Chelsea over a summer move.

    Former Manchester City winger Sane was asked why German players are so in-demand in the Premier League with Timo Werner having already signed for the Blues this summer.

    And Sane replied: “I think Germany has always had very good young German players.

    “Many young players get their chance and develop well in the Bundesliga. I think that with Werner and Havertz, two Germans in one year, Chelsea did a good job.”

    The transfer fee is expected to be in the region of £90million with £63million being paid up front and the rest coming in add-ons.

  • Why I quit Man City for Bayern – Leroy Sane

    Why I quit Man City for Bayern – Leroy Sane

    Leroy Sane has explained his decision to quit Manchester City for Bayern Munich.

    The Germany winger’s move went through earlier this month.

    “Hasan Salihamidzic (Bayern sporting director) and his concept played a very important role,” began Sane.

    “He was behind the transfer from the first moment and was not put off by anything. I’m grateful for that. He showed me how the club works, which team he has in mind, how it looks. I immediately noticed: I know a lot of boys here, I fit in very well here.”

    Sané continued: “The Bayern system actually fits me perfectly. The Bayern game is shaped by wingers, which of course suits me very well. That was a very important point for me.”

    Sane joins Bayern for €49m plus up to €11m in bonuses. Before Sané’s cruciate ligament injury in August 2019, a €150 million fee was still under discussion.

    “These are numbers that in my eyes no player in the world is worth, there is no question. However, it is certainly not a disadvantage that in the end they paid much less,” says Sané.

  • Bayern Munich are Europe’s restart kings

    Bayern Munich are Europe’s restart kings

    Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were the major winners following the resumption of European football’s big leagues in the wake of the novel coronavirus shutdown.

    But some clubs may wish the season had been declared null and void.

    Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich were the only club across the continent to post a 100 percent record since the restart.

    They won all nine of their games, scoring 27 goals in the process.

    Real Madrid looked set to emulate Bayern Munich as they won their opening 10 games after the restart in June, a burst of form that delivered the Liga title.

    But they blotted their copybook on Sunday, however, when they drew 2-2 at Leganes.

    Statistics compiled by sports data specialists Gracenote show that English second-tier side Brentford were the third-best performing club since the restart.

    They won seven in a row before a costly defeat at Stoke City on Saturday put a huge dent in their hopes of automatic promotion to the English Premier League (EPL).

    Serie A sides Atalanta and AC Milan were the next best, gaining 2.56 and 2.50 points per game respectively.

    Interestingly Liverpool, who have been the standout team across Europe, have laboured after the restart, though with the Premier League title as good as won in March, that is perhaps understandable.

    In their last eight games Liverpool have averaged only 1.75 points, compared to their season average of 2.58, scored 1.63 goals per game (2.14 for the season) and conceded 1.13 (0.81).

    The worst performing team after the resumption were Norwich City who are the only club in Europe’s top leagues not to pick up a point since the restart.

    Relegated Norwich have lost all eight of their Premier League games, conceding 18 goals and scoring one.

    Bundesliga side Schalke 04 were not much better, picking up only two points for their last nine games.

    The most prolific scorers across the top six European leagues were Manchester City and AC Milan who have averaged 3.13 goals since the restart.

    FC Porto and Brentford had the meanest defences, leaking only three goals apiece.

  • Bayern’s Alcantara pushes for move to Liverpool

    Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara is eager to set up a move to England this summer.

    The Spain international feels he’s run his course in Germany with Bayern and wants a new challenge.

    As such, he is spying a move to England and has instructed his agents to sound out Liverpool about the prospect of a stunning switch to Anfield.

    BILD’s head of sport, Christian Falk, publicly broke the news on social media yesterday.

  • Bayern Munich clinches eight Bundesliga title in Bremen

    Bayern Munich clinches eight Bundesliga title in Bremen

    Bayern Munich have clinched an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title by winning 1-0 away to Werder Bremen to go 10 points clear of Borussia Dortmund, who have only three games left to play.

    Robert Lewandowski’s 31st goal of the season sealed the latest championship for Bayern, who also had Alphonso Davies sent off.

    It completes a remarkable turnaround from having sacked Coach Niko Kovac in November.

    Hansi Flick took over and led the team to 19 wins from 22 Bundesliga games to leave the opposition trailing in their wake.

    Bayern have now won 30 German titles with 29 coming in the Bundesliga era.

    Dortmund play their mid-week match at home to Mainz on Wednesday as they attempt to hold on to the runners-up spot.

    Borussia Moenchegladbach boosted their Champions League hopes 3-0 at home to Wolfsburg, Freiburg continued the chase for a Europa League spot 2-1 over Hertha Berlin and Paderborn were relegated after losing 1-0 at Union Berlin, who confirmed their top-flight status for next season.

    Bayern’s probing in Bremen finally found weakness in the resilient Bremen defence two minutes before the break.

    Lewandowski brilliantly controlled a chip from Jerome Boateng to fire home and start the countdown to the title party.

    After the break, Bayern dominated possession and Lewandowski had a clever flick ruled out for offside.

    Davies collected a second yellow with 10 minutes remaining but though Manuel Neuer was called into action Yuya Osako the outcome of the game was never in doubt.

    And neither, ultimately, was the outcome of the title race.

    Bayern were seven points adrift in seventh in early December after losing to then leaders Gladbach but have not tasted defeat since.

    Gladbach and others have been hauled in and the 1-0 win in Dortmund, soon after the resumption from the coronavirus break, made the championship a matter of time.

    Bremen remain in the second automatic relegation place, behind Fortuna Dusseldorf – who visit third-placed RB Leipzig on Wednesday – on goal difference ahead of a six-pointer at 15th-placed Mainz this weekend.

    Paderborn have been adrift at the bottom for weeks and Ben Zolinski’s own goal condemned them to another defeat in Berlin.

    The win lifted Union to 12th, and guaranteed safety, in their maiden Bundesliga campaign.

    At the other end of the table, a first half double from Jonas Hofmann helped Gladbach ease past an off-form Wolfsburg to go fourth and into the final Champions League place.

    Hofmann’s goals in the 10th and 30th minutes put the Foals in control and Lars Stindl added a fine third after the break.

    Gladbach are two points ahead of fifth-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who host local rivals Cologne on Wednesday.

    Wolfsburg are sixth as they look to secure a return to the Europa League by finishing in the top seven.

    That spot is currently occupied by Freiburg who beat mid-table Hertha Berlin through Vincezno Grifo and Nils Petersen either side of Vedad Ibisevic’s penalty.

  • Lewandowski shoots Bayern Munich to German Cup final

    Robert Lewandowski netted a second-half winner as holders Bayern Munich qualified for a third successive German Cup final after beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on Wednesday.

    Despite a superb first half, in which they took the lead through Ivan Perisic, Bayern were made to sweat after completely losing their rhythm.

    This happened after the break as they allowed their opponents to come back into the match with a goal from Danny Da Costa.

    “In the first half, we should have scored more goals.

    “In the second half, we did not do it well,’’ Bayern coach, Hansi Flick, said.

    “But it was a Cup game and at the end it was a deserved qualification.

    “It could have been an easier second half if we had done it better in the first.’’

    Bayern will now play Bayer Leverkusen in the final on 4 July.

    Leverkusen cruised past fourth tier Saarbruecken 3-0 on Tuesday for the final.

    Having all but secured the Bundesliga title and chasing a 20th German Cup crown, the Bavarians were unstoppable in the first half and an unmarked Perisic headed in a Thomas Mueller cross for the lead in the 14th minute.

    They should have scored several more with Perisic, Kingsley Coman and Lewandowski repeatedly going close as the visitors were completely outclassed in the first half.

    Frankfurt, who beat Bayern in the 2018 final, came out transformed after the break and snatched an equaliser through substitute Da Costa in the 69th.

    Yet, Lewandowski scored the winner five minutes later with Bayern’s only real chance in the second half after confusion in the Frankfurt.

  • Bayern Munich crush Leverkusen to stay firmly on title course

    Bayern Munich crush Leverkusen to stay firmly on title course

    Bayern Munich came from a goal down to ease past hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 on Saturday and remain firmly on course to retain the Bundesliga title with four games remaining.

    The Bavarians are within touching distance of their eighth consecutive league crown and have also set a league record with 90 goals after 30 match days.

    Bayer Leverkusen’s 17-year-old Florian Wirtz stole some of the spotlight at the end, becoming the youngest Bundesliga scorer when he netted in the 89th minute.

    Lucas Alario fired the hosts into the lead after 10 minutes as Bayer Leverkusen, without the injured Kai Havertz, scored with the first chance of the game.

    But Bayern Munich recovered from the early shock.

    Kingsley Coman curled in the equaliser in the 28th minute before the visitors struck twice in three minutes to turn the game around.

    Leon Goretzka completed a sensational passing move in the 42nd minute and Serge Gnabry chipped the ball over goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky on the stroke of halftime.

    Bundesliga top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski headed in Thomas Mueller’s 20th assist of the season.

    Lewandowski took his tally to 30 league goals but is still 10 shy of the all-time league record of 40 set by Gerd Mueller in 1971-1972.

    Both he and Mueller were booked and will have to sit out their next game against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

    “We needed a bit of time to get into the game and the goal was a wake-up call for us,” said Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick, whose team has won 23 of the 26 matches since he took over earlier this season.

    “The way we came back from a goal down shows the attitude and mentality of the team.”

    It was Bayern Munich’s ninth straight win, but there was also some cheer for Bayer Leverkusen in spite of their setback in the race for a UEFA Champions League spot.

    German youth international Wirtz made a name for himself with a superb 89th minute strike past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

    It made him the youngest Bundesliga scorer at 17 years and 34 days.

    Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 win over Hertha Berlin later means Bayern Munich lead the table from Borussia Dortmund by seven points.

    RB Leipzig are third, 11 points behind, after conceding a last-gasp equaliser in their 1-1 draw with bottom club Paderborn.

    Bayer Leverkusen stayed fifth.

    In other matches, Mainz beat hosts Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 while Dusseldorf drew 2-2 with visiting Hoffenheim.

  • Bayern Munich closer to league title after 1-0 win at Dortmund

    Joshua Kimmich’s first-half lob gave leaders Bayern Munich a 1-0 victory at second-placed Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Tuesday.

    The slim win closes Bayern in on the league title with a seven-point advantage over their rivals and six games left in the season.

    Kimmich, sent a perfectly-weighted chip over stranded keeper, Roman Buerki in the 43rd minute as the champions landed big win, at an empty stadium that normally seats 80,000 fans.

    The win is in the visitors’ quest for a record-extending eighth straight league crown.

    Bayern, who have now won their last seven league matches, are on 64 points with Dortmund still on 57. RB Leipzig, who face Hertha Berlin on Wednesday, are third on 54.

    The Bundesliga became the first major league to restart 10 days ago after a break of more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with games played without supporters to reduce the risk of infection.

  • Robben snubs Mourinho, names Guardiola best coach

    Arjen Robben has described former Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola as the “master of offensive football” and says the Catalan is the best coach in the world.

    The 36-year-old was brought to Bavaria by Louis van Gaal and also worked with Carlo Ancelotti, Jupp Heynckes and Niko Kovac at the Allianz Arena.

    Meanwhile, Mourinho bought Robben in 2004 in his first stint at Chelsea, while he played under Guardiola in Germany for three seasons. He developed into one of the most feared wingers of the world under the coaches over the last decade.

    But Robben feels the Spaniard is the coach who helped him to improve the most.

    “I love football and, above all, the offensive football – and Pep is a master at it,” he told Socrates magazine.

    “He focused on attack and total ball control. Of course, I particularly liked that. We were on the same wavelength.

    “He made sure that I became more complete. For me, Pep is the best coach in the world. The three years with him in Munich were extremely instructive.”

  • Bayern will regret letting me go – Toni Kroos

    Bayern will regret letting me go – Toni Kroos

    Toni Kroos has declared he wants to see out his contract with Real Madrid.

    The experienced midfielder has a deal to 2023.

    And he declared: “I intend to be here for those three years, so I will be 33 years old and it will be a good time to think about how I feel and if I want to continue playing.

    “Overall, I can’t imagine going anywhere else.

    “If we meet and think that it can still be renewed for a year, because the performance is still good enough and I still have motivation, I would not rule it out. What I can’t imagine is going to England at 33 years old, where very physical football is played.”

    Kroos, speaking with Eurosport, also took a dig at former club Bayern Munich.

    “In Munich there was a feeling that I was an international among many. Many thought that I was going to fail in Madrid.

    “Some at Bayern are likely to be sorry they let me go.”