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Bayern Munich need a convincing win at Bundesliga bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig today to dismiss talk of a mini-crisis ahead of their Champions League semi-final at Real Madrid. |
With only two wins in their last six games, Bayern have suffered a dip since winning the Bundesliga nearly a month ago with a record seven games to spare.
Bayern booked their place in next month’s German Cup final with a 5-1 drubbing of second division Kaiserslautern in Wednesday’s semi-final in Munich.
But Munich’s director of sport Matthias Sammer said while the scoreline was impressive, the performance was lacking spark.
Bayern have lost back-to-back league matches, an obvious concern ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final, first leg at Real Madrid.
“I had the feeling that we’re not really running hot at the moment,” said Sammer, who questioned Bayern’s desire to win the Champions League and German Cup finals.
“For the tasks we are facing, that’s not enough. We have to ask ourselves if we still want to win these two titles.”
On paper, Bayern’s trip to Braunschweig looks straightforward, but the hosts have picked up seven points in their last four games to boost their survival bid.
Braunschweig are without injured captain and striker Domi Kumbela, a rich source of goals for them in recent weeks, and are just three points from safety.
Bayern will be without right-back Rafinha, who is serving a three-match ban after being sent off in last Saturday’s 3-0 league defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund.
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who missed the mid-week game with a calf strain, is to miss today’s match.
Coach Pep Guardiola said yesterday the Germany international would not travel for the match, which comes four days before Bayern meet Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Neuer was able to put in some running in training Thursday and is not expected to miss the trip to Madrid.
Neuer’s place in goal will be taken by 20-year-old Lukas Raeder, who played the second half in last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat to Borussia Dortmund and Tuesday’s 5-1 cup defeat of second-division Kaiserslautern.
It remains to be seen whether Guardiola rests his squad or looks for some continuity by naming a strong team four days before the trip to Real.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund host Mainz looking to pick up their fifth straight win having booked their German Cup final berth against Bayern on May 17.
Dortmund enjoyed a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg in Tuesday’s semi-final but both goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller (groin) and striker Robert Lewandowski (thigh) are carrying knocks.
Lewandowski scored his 100th goal for Dortmund against Wolfsburg, but his final match in the black and yellow jersey will be against future employers Bayern in the cup final.
Seventh-placed Mainz 05 now find themselves in a Europa League spot due to both cup finalists Dortmund and Bayern having qualified directly for next season’s Champions League.
Hamburg set for historic drop
A few shock results can be expected in the last four weeks of the season with sides desperate for points in the lower half of the table set to surprise those higher up.
A good example is today evening’s tie when relegation-threatened Hamburg host VfL Wolfsburg, who are just a point off a Champions League berth for next season.
Hamburg are the only team in Germany’s top-flight to have never been relegated and have just four games left to escape the bottom three.
FIXTURES
Today
Borussia Dortmund v Mainz 05
Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Bor. Moenchengladbach
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin
Eintracht Braunschweig v Bayern Munich
Hamburg v VfL Wolfsburg
Tomorrow
Nuremberg v Bayer Leverkusen
VfB Stuttgart v Schalke 04
