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Bundesliga Preview: Wolfsburg – Bayern Munich
Out-of-sorts Wolfsburg look to halt Bayern’s red-hot run of form…
| Bet: | Returns: | Basel £55.00 | Draw £37.50 | Bayern £15.33 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Basel £55.00 | Draw £36.00 | Bayern £15.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Basel £65.00 | Draw £40.00 | Bayern £15.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Basel £65.00 | Draw £40.00 | Bayern £15.30 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Basel £64.50 | Draw £36.00 | Bayern £15.00 |
|
Feb 5, 2010 7:00:00 AM
By Clark Whitney
Kick-Off: Saturday, February 6, 2010, 15:30 CET
Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany
Guess Who’s Baaack
One needs only to look back to late August to recall Bayern Munich’s full potential. At that time, the team was still in its developmental stages, trying to scrape past opponents by any means necessary. Then, at the half, Arjen Robben made his debut in a red shirt. Less than 20 minutes later, Franck Ribery made his return from injury. Ahead 1-0 at the time, Bayern then switched to a 4-3-3 formation with “Robbery” supporting centre forward Mario Gomez. The wingers twice combined to produce beautiful goals, perfectly playing the counterattack with a combination of precision, pace, intelligent running, and seemingly telepathic communication. In the end, a 3-0 result was earned for a team that, on the whole, was not in form.
Flashing forward nearly half a year, Bayern have won their last nine matches in all competitions, and as a team, are in otherworldly form. During their winning streak, Bayern have outscored opponents by 28-7, and might have had an even more impressive record if not for some questionable finishing in recent matches.
Now with the whole team firing on all cylinders, Bayern head to Wolfsburg as one of world football’s hottest teams. Known for their use of width and the counterattack, Bayern’s tactical approach should be ideal for facing a Wolfsburg side that plays with a more narrow 4-3-1-2 formation and that has struggled defensively.
Once again, Ribery will likely start on the bench, but the Frenchman is likely to come on as a substitute at the start of the second half. As usual, Bayern will surely line up in Louis van Gaal’s 4-4-2 formation and look to use right-sided duo Robben and Philipp Lahm as catalysts for a very forward-minded game. If the game is played at all similarly to the Werder Bremen match, Bayern’s score could even go into the double digits…
Injured Wolfe
A year ago, a resolute Wolfsburg tore through the league rankings, soaring ever upward to a surprise, first-ever Bundesliga title. Led by breakout stars Zvjezdan Misimovic (18 assists), Edin Dzeko (26 goals), and Grafite (28 goals), Wolfsburg’s attack was utterly dominant, scoring 80 goals in just 34 matches. At the other end of the pitch, Wolfsburg allowed just 41 goals, a record that was joint third in the league. In May, one could have argued that Wolfsburg, based on form, were among the top five teams in Europe. And then coach Felix Magath left for Schalke.
Since summer, the Wolfsburg of old has disappeared: since Bosnia’s failure to qualify for the World Cup, Misimovic has been in a dearth of form, and Grafite has looked a shadow of his former self. Only Dzeko (9 goals, 5 assists) has achieved somewhat consistent form, but even he has not quite lived up to his potential.
If attack has been a problem, defense has been a nightmare. No team has allowed more goals (39) than Wolfsburg, who have retained their entire back line from the previous season.
There may, however, be a silver lining. Armin Veh, who had replaced Magath in the summer, was finally sacked last Monday. Lorenz-Guenther Koestner, who has spent most of his career coaching in the lower divisions, has replaced Veh on an interim basis, and there are hopes that the ex-M’gladbach player will turn around his team’s season. Some might call it the result of luck, but Wolfsburg held Hamburg scoreless until the final seconds of last week’s 1-1 draw with attackingly potent Hamburg. If Wolfsburg are able to employ the defense and counterattack-based strategies that worked under Magath, they just might be the first team in more than two months to take points from in-form Bayern..
FORM GUIDE
Wolfsburg
29 Jan v Hamburg (A) DREW 1-1 (Bundesliga)
24 Jan v Koeln (H) LOST 2-3 (Bundesliga)
16 Jan v Stuttgart (A) LOST 3-1 (Bundesliga)
19 Dec v Eintracht Frankfurt (A) DREW 2-2 (Bundesliga)
13 Dec v Borussia Dortmund (H) LOST 1-3 (Bundesliga)
Bayern Munich
30 Jan v Mainz (H) WON 3-0 (Bundesliga)
26 Jan v Ingolstadt (A) WON 2-0 (Friendly)
23 Jan v Werder Bremen (A) WON 3-2 (Bundesliga)
15 Jan v Hoffenheim (H) WON 2-0 (Bundesliga)
12 Jan v Basel (A) WON 3-1 (Friendly)
TEAM NEWS
Wolfsburg
New coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner should have available a nearly full first team. Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio, who is recovering from a knee operation, is definitely out, and new signing Rever is also unavailable.
Possible Starting XI: Lenz – Riether, Madlung, Barzagli, Schaefer – Hasebe, Josue, Gentner – Misimovic – Dzeko, Grafite
Bayern Munich
Louis van Gaal should have a nearly full squad of players to choose from, although Franck Ribery, who is not quite fit for 90 minutes, is likely to start on the bench once again. Andreas Goerlitz, who has seen very limited playing time, is unavailable for selection.
Possible Starting XI: Butt – Lahm, van Buyten, Demichelis, Badstuber – Robben, van Bommel, Schweinsteiger, Mueller – Gomez, Olic
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg)
Of Wolfsburg’s set of talented individuals, the one man who has kept his form from last year is Dzeko. In what may be his last season in Germany, Dzeko has scored nine goalls and assisted five more. His combination of strength and delicate touch has turned the Bosnian, who is not entirely unlike Zlatan Ibrahimovic, into one of Europe’s most dangerous strikers.
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Perhaps the league’s hottest player at the moment, Robben is truly a nightmare to defend. His incredible pace, balance, and strength make the Dutchman one of world football’s greatest athletes. Add in his precise passing, cannon-like shot and dazzling dribbling, and Robben becomes a nearly unstoppable force. Look for him to combine with Philipp Lahm and Franck Ribery as Bayern look to break forward.
PREDICTION
Wolfsburg need more time to find their form, and Bayern are far too hot to drop points this weekend. For the visitors, Wolfsburg should be easier opponents than Mainz due to the fact that their hosts play a forward-minded game. As in the Bremen match, expect Van Gaal’s men to blitz forward on the counterattack and try to put the game out of reach early on.
Wolfsburg 2-4 Bayern Munich
Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany
Guess Who’s Baaack
One needs only to look back to late August to recall Bayern Munich’s full potential. At that time, the team was still in its developmental stages, trying to scrape past opponents by any means necessary. Then, at the half, Arjen Robben made his debut in a red shirt. Less than 20 minutes later, Franck Ribery made his return from injury. Ahead 1-0 at the time, Bayern then switched to a 4-3-3 formation with “Robbery” supporting centre forward Mario Gomez. The wingers twice combined to produce beautiful goals, perfectly playing the counterattack with a combination of precision, pace, intelligent running, and seemingly telepathic communication. In the end, a 3-0 result was earned for a team that, on the whole, was not in form.
Flashing forward nearly half a year, Bayern have won their last nine matches in all competitions, and as a team, are in otherworldly form. During their winning streak, Bayern have outscored opponents by 28-7, and might have had an even more impressive record if not for some questionable finishing in recent matches.
Now with the whole team firing on all cylinders, Bayern head to Wolfsburg as one of world football’s hottest teams. Known for their use of width and the counterattack, Bayern’s tactical approach should be ideal for facing a Wolfsburg side that plays with a more narrow 4-3-1-2 formation and that has struggled defensively.
Once again, Ribery will likely start on the bench, but the Frenchman is likely to come on as a substitute at the start of the second half. As usual, Bayern will surely line up in Louis van Gaal’s 4-4-2 formation and look to use right-sided duo Robben and Philipp Lahm as catalysts for a very forward-minded game. If the game is played at all similarly to the Werder Bremen match, Bayern’s score could even go into the double digits…
Injured Wolfe
A year ago, a resolute Wolfsburg tore through the league rankings, soaring ever upward to a surprise, first-ever Bundesliga title. Led by breakout stars Zvjezdan Misimovic (18 assists), Edin Dzeko (26 goals), and Grafite (28 goals), Wolfsburg’s attack was utterly dominant, scoring 80 goals in just 34 matches. At the other end of the pitch, Wolfsburg allowed just 41 goals, a record that was joint third in the league. In May, one could have argued that Wolfsburg, based on form, were among the top five teams in Europe. And then coach Felix Magath left for Schalke.
Since summer, the Wolfsburg of old has disappeared: since Bosnia’s failure to qualify for the World Cup, Misimovic has been in a dearth of form, and Grafite has looked a shadow of his former self. Only Dzeko (9 goals, 5 assists) has achieved somewhat consistent form, but even he has not quite lived up to his potential.
If attack has been a problem, defense has been a nightmare. No team has allowed more goals (39) than Wolfsburg, who have retained their entire back line from the previous season.
There may, however, be a silver lining. Armin Veh, who had replaced Magath in the summer, was finally sacked last Monday. Lorenz-Guenther Koestner, who has spent most of his career coaching in the lower divisions, has replaced Veh on an interim basis, and there are hopes that the ex-M’gladbach player will turn around his team’s season. Some might call it the result of luck, but Wolfsburg held Hamburg scoreless until the final seconds of last week’s 1-1 draw with attackingly potent Hamburg. If Wolfsburg are able to employ the defense and counterattack-based strategies that worked under Magath, they just might be the first team in more than two months to take points from in-form Bayern..
FORM GUIDE
Wolfsburg
29 Jan v Hamburg (A) DREW 1-1 (Bundesliga)
24 Jan v Koeln (H) LOST 2-3 (Bundesliga)
16 Jan v Stuttgart (A) LOST 3-1 (Bundesliga)
19 Dec v Eintracht Frankfurt (A) DREW 2-2 (Bundesliga)
13 Dec v Borussia Dortmund (H) LOST 1-3 (Bundesliga)
Bayern Munich
30 Jan v Mainz (H) WON 3-0 (Bundesliga)
26 Jan v Ingolstadt (A) WON 2-0 (Friendly)
23 Jan v Werder Bremen (A) WON 3-2 (Bundesliga)
15 Jan v Hoffenheim (H) WON 2-0 (Bundesliga)
12 Jan v Basel (A) WON 3-1 (Friendly)
TEAM NEWS
Wolfsburg
New coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner should have available a nearly full first team. Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio, who is recovering from a knee operation, is definitely out, and new signing Rever is also unavailable.
Possible Starting XI: Lenz – Riether, Madlung, Barzagli, Schaefer – Hasebe, Josue, Gentner – Misimovic – Dzeko, Grafite
Bayern Munich
Louis van Gaal should have a nearly full squad of players to choose from, although Franck Ribery, who is not quite fit for 90 minutes, is likely to start on the bench once again. Andreas Goerlitz, who has seen very limited playing time, is unavailable for selection.
Possible Starting XI: Butt – Lahm, van Buyten, Demichelis, Badstuber – Robben, van Bommel, Schweinsteiger, Mueller – Gomez, Olic
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg)
Of Wolfsburg’s set of talented individuals, the one man who has kept his form from last year is Dzeko. In what may be his last season in Germany, Dzeko has scored nine goalls and assisted five more. His combination of strength and delicate touch has turned the Bosnian, who is not entirely unlike Zlatan Ibrahimovic, into one of Europe’s most dangerous strikers.
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Perhaps the league’s hottest player at the moment, Robben is truly a nightmare to defend. His incredible pace, balance, and strength make the Dutchman one of world football’s greatest athletes. Add in his precise passing, cannon-like shot and dazzling dribbling, and Robben becomes a nearly unstoppable force. Look for him to combine with Philipp Lahm and Franck Ribery as Bayern look to break forward.
PREDICTION
Wolfsburg need more time to find their form, and Bayern are far too hot to drop points this weekend. For the visitors, Wolfsburg should be easier opponents than Mainz due to the fact that their hosts play a forward-minded game. As in the Bremen match, expect Van Gaal’s men to blitz forward on the counterattack and try to put the game out of reach early on.
Wolfsburg 2-4 Bayern Munich
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9:30 PM GMT
GOAL NUMBER FOUR FOR MILAN! Ibrahimovic has scored from the spot after getting back up from a clumsy challenge in the box from Djourou!
It's 4-0 Milan and Arsenal are looking like a second division team here!
It's 4-0 Milan and Arsenal are looking like a second division team here!
9:23 PM GMT
Here's an interesting fact: Arsenal have never lost by more than three goals in the Champions League. Can Milan make history tonight?
9:19 PM GMT
WHAT a save from Abbiati there - wonderful diving effort to keep out a Van Persie volley. Has Abbiati now made more saves tonight than Szczesny? (just kidding)
Lets go over to Sergio Stanco now, who has an update for us from San Siro:
"After the third goal was scored the Milan fans began to sing “whoever doesn't jump is an Inter fan!” and the entire stadium burst into dance.
"A rather concerned looking English colleague turned to me to ask for reassurance, such is the level of excitement here tonight!"
Lets go over to Sergio Stanco now, who has an update for us from San Siro:
"After the third goal was scored the Milan fans began to sing “whoever doesn't jump is an Inter fan!” and the entire stadium burst into dance.
"A rather concerned looking English colleague turned to me to ask for reassurance, such is the level of excitement here tonight!"
9:06 PM GMT
I nipped over to Facebook during half time to pick the brains of our readers, asking 'can Arsenal find a way back into this?'
Olaleye Samsideen Olamide said: “I don't think so. Not with the way the Gunners are playing. Lets see what happens...”
Athos Gomes Fonseca was less forgiving, stating: “Arsenal confirmed as football's biggest joke.”
Harmed Hordeday Dewale on the other hand, said: “Arsenal can still come back and score, but only if Wenger gets rid of Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain is added to the attack.”
Fair play, Harmed. But what about this atrocious defending we're being subjected to?
Olaleye Samsideen Olamide said: “I don't think so. Not with the way the Gunners are playing. Lets see what happens...”
Athos Gomes Fonseca was less forgiving, stating: “Arsenal confirmed as football's biggest joke.”
Harmed Hordeday Dewale on the other hand, said: “Arsenal can still come back and score, but only if Wenger gets rid of Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain is added to the attack.”
Fair play, Harmed. But what about this atrocious defending we're being subjected to?
8:56 PM GMT
GOOOOOOOOOOAL MILANOOOO!
And that takes it to 3-0 Milan! Robinho makes full use of a slip from Vermaelen on the edge of the area, utilising the space to good effect, lashing home to... dare I say it... put this clash beyond doubt.
Great finish from the Brazilian!
And that takes it to 3-0 Milan! Robinho makes full use of a slip from Vermaelen on the edge of the area, utilising the space to good effect, lashing home to... dare I say it... put this clash beyond doubt.
Great finish from the Brazilian!
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