After the last-minute euphoria of the Champions’ League win over Manchester City in midweek, it was largely expected to be a return to business at usual at the Imtech Arena against HSV. Struggling near the foot of the the table, the northerners came into the game with a new coach at the helm, with Under-23 coach Josef Zinnbauer replacing the sacked Mirko Slomka. Continue reading Hamburger SV v FCB
After a break for the opening round of international fixtures Bayern would return to Bundesliga action with a home game against VfB Stuttgart, a team that had started as it had finished the previous season – struggling at the wrong end of the table. Starting without Arjen Robben of Franck Ribéry – the Frenchman would start on the bench – the Bayern team would have a distinct lack of pace about it; Dante and Juan Bernat would come in for Sebastian Rode and Xherdan Shaqiri as Pep Guardiola continued with his policy of rest and rotation. Continue reading FCB v VfB Stuttgart
With three points in the locker after the hard-fought opening day win against VfL Wolfsburg, FC Bayern’s first Bundesliga road trip would take them to Gelsenkirchen and a meeting with perennial title rivals Schalke 04. The game would see the much-anticipated debut of Spanish international defensive midfielder and former Real Madrid stalwart Xabi Alonso, while at the same time the somewhat less heralded Sebastian Rode – signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer – would also make his first Bundesliga start. Continue reading FC Schalke 04 v FCB
Finally! After an exciting summer with Germany winning the World Cup in Brazil and a weeks of transfer shenanigans, the penultimate week of August would see a welcome return of Bundesliga action. FC Bayern’s opening fixture would pit them against 2008/09 champions VfL Wolfsburg, genuine title challengers who had brought in a number of new signings over the summer. Continue reading FCB v VfL Wolfsburg