HAT-TRICK FOR LEWY AS REDS RUN RIOT

Bayern maintained their searing home form in the Champions League, now stretching to seven wins and 27 goals in their last seven fixtures in Munich, with a thumping 5-0 victory at home to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night. The storming win emphatically ended the serial Croatian champions’ 45-match unbeaten streak and consolidated the Reds’ stranglehold on first place in their group.

The 70,000 full house at the Allianz Arena saw the German champions rip into their shell-shocked opponents from the off and lead 4-0 at the break with goals from Douglas Costa, Mario Götze and a Robert Lewandowski double. The Pole completed his hat-trick ten minutes after the restart as the men from Munich serenely brought home the three points.

The result means the Reds tighten their grip on top spot in Group F on the maximum six points. The conventional phrase at this point would have the Bavarians returning to the bread-and-butter of the domestic league in their next match, but Sunday afternoon’s home meeting with Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker is anything but humdrum fare prior to the latest two-week international break.

JOSHUA FROM THE START

Pep Guardiola made four changes to the team that beat Mainz in the Bundesliga last weekend, with Joshua Kimmich, Götze, Juan Bernat and Jerome Boateng starting in place of Thomas Müller, Xabi Alonso, Rafinha and Javi Martinez, who all began on the bench. Reserves Fabian Benko and Gianluca Gaudino were also among the subs, but Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Rode both missed out with minor injuries.

The 2013 Champions League winners lined up with Manual Neuer in goal, Bernat, Boateng, David Alaba and captain Philipp Lahm in a back four, Kimmich, Thiago and Götze in midfield, and Kingsley Coman, Lewandowski and Costa up front.

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WHIRLWIND FIRST HALF

After referee Alexey Kulbakov from Belarus whistled the game underway on a chilly autumn night in Munich, the first chances fell to the home team with Kimmich glancing a header onto the roof of the net and Götze lofting a shot into the crowd. Mr Kulbakov then turned down Bayern’s very good penalty shout for handball in the box, before Dinamo keeper Eduardo saved well from Boateng and Lewandowski.

It felt like a goal was coming and the opener duly arrived on 13 minutes when Costa took one glorious touch to control Thiago’s pass, accelerated past his marker and angled a drive in at Eduardo’s unguarded near post.

The second came less than ten minutes later when Thiago pounced on a catastrophic error by young centre-back Filip Benkovic and unselfishly set up Lewandowski to slot home, before Götze made it 3-0 on 25 minutes after a one-two with Coman in the box, although Eduardo should really have stopped the Germany man’s half-hit effort.

There was still no let-up from the men in red and Lewandowski completed his brace after 28 minutes with a shot off the underside of the bar and over the line, a fact confirmed by Mr Kulbakov after consulting the additional assistant referee. But even the home side now shifted down a gear and although there were still plenty of half-chances, it stayed 4-0 through to the break.

PROLIFIC LEWY POWERS ON

The result was no longer in doubt but FCB added a fifth on 55 minutes when Lewandowski accepted the first clear-cut chance of the second half to complete his hat-trick with a lob over Eduardo from Thiago’s neat short pass.

Guardiola brought on Martinez, Müller and Rafinha for Bernat, Boateng and Costa in the course of the second period but there was no change in the one-way pattern of the match, although the pace drained from the game as the minutes ticked by.

Götze rattled the outside of the post with a low drive 20 minutes from the end, Eduardo saved at Lewandowski’s feet in a one-on-one set up by Müller, and the Polish hitman curled a free-kick over the bar as a one-sided encounter came to a highly satisfactory close from a Bayern point of view.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

FC BAYERN - DINAMO ZAGREB 5-0 (H-T: 4-0)

FC Bayern

Neuer - Lahm, Boateng (Rafinha 64), Alaba, Bernat (Martinez 46) - Kimmich, Thiago, Götze - Coman, Lewandowski, Costa (Müller 58)

ERSATZ

Ulreich, Alonso, Gaudino, Benko

Dinamo Zagreb

Eduardo - Matel, Benkovic (Goncalo 46), Taravel, Pivaric – Machado (Rog 61), Antolic, Ademi - Soudani, Fernandes – Pjaca (Henriquez 69)

ERSATZ

Jezina, Musa, Coric, Hodzic

SCHIEDSRICHTER

Alexey Kulbakov (Belarus)

ZUSCHAUER

70,000 (capacity)

TORE

1-0 Costa (13), 2-0 Lewandowski (22), 3-0 Götze (25), 4-0 Lewandowski (28), 5-0 Lewandowski (55)

GELBEKARTEN

Boateng / Pivaric, Ademi

RAMPANT REDS EQUAL RECORD FOR BEST-EVER START

Bayern go into Tuesday’s first home fixture in the Champions League group stage riding a blistering wave of form as the Reds equalled the record for the best-ever start to a Bundesliga season with a seventh straight win, Saturday’s 3-0 success away to ninth-placed FSV Mainz. All the goals, including a brace from man of the moment Robert Lewandowski, came in another irresistible second-half display from Pep Guardiola’s men.

The 34,000 capacity crowd at the Coface Arena saw the champions soon find their rhythm, but Thomas Müller missed a 20th-minute penalty and there were no goals before half-time. It all changed six minutes after the restart when Lewandowski opened the scoring with his 100th Bundesliga goal, the Pole adding his and his team’s second on 63 minutes and Kingsley Coman making it 3-0 five minutes after that.

The result means Bayern consolidate their position at the top of the standings on the maximum 21 points, now five clear of second-placed Dortmund overnight. The Bavarians are back in action three days from now at home to Dinamo Zagreb, before the eagerly-awaited clash with BVB at the Allianz Arena on Sunday 4 October.

STARTS FOR KINGSLEY AND JAVI

Guardiola made four changes to the team that thrashed Wolfsburg 5-1 in the Lewandowski show last Tuesday. The striker himself, Javi Martinez, Coman and Rafinha came into the side in place of Arturo Vidal, Jerome Boateng, Mario Götze and Juan Bernat, who all took seats on the bench.

All eyes were on Lewandowski after his astonishing midweek heroics, but more important to FCB fans was the sight of Martinez making his first start since May, the next crucial step in the Spaniard’s comeback after 14 months of injury misery.

The champions began with Manual Neuer in goal behind a back four of Rafinha, Martinez, Xabi Alonso and David Alaba, with captain Philipp Lahm and Thiago in central midfield. The attacking unit featured Coman, Thomas Müller, Douglas Costa and Lewandowski.

GOALLESS AT THE BREAK

After referee Bastian Dankert whistled play underway, the pattern of the match was soon established with the visitors in control of the ball and Martin Schmidt’s home team massed in their own half. Müller skied the first chance and then came up short of Thiago’s dinked free-kick, but the Germany man spurned the first truly gilt-edged opportunity when he slipped while taking a 20th-minute penalty awarded for Pablo De Blasis’ clear foul on Coman and shanked his spot-kick into the stands.

Undeterred, the Reds pressed and home keeper Loris Karius saved Alaba’s direct free-kick, although Mainz showed as an attacking force for the first time on 28 minutes when Japanese import Yoshinori Muto fired a hair’s breadth wide of the post.

Karius acrobatically turned a Costa 25-yarder away for a corner and Coman smashed an equally long-range effort over the bar, but all in all it was a cagey first half and the game remained goalless at the interval.

ANOTHER STRONG SECOND HALF

FCB took the lead on 51 minutes with the first real chance of the second half when Lewandowski drifted off his marker and planted a firm eight-yard header past Karius from a beautifully-weighted Coman cross. Vidal took over from Müller just short of the hour and the Chilean soon set up an opening for Coman, although the French youngster could not get power on his shot.

Lewandowski showed how it should be done on 63 minutes with his and his team’s second of the afternoon, the Pole latching onto Vidal’s neat pass and rounding Karius before slotting home. Martinez now gave way to Boateng, and a short time later the Reds were three up, Costa showing the Mainz defence a clean pair of heels before squaring for Coman to side-foot into the empty net from six yards.

Götze played the last 20 minutes in place of Costa as FCB thoughts turned to the Zagreb clash, and Mainz now enjoyed their best spell with Christian Clemens angling a drive onto Neuer’s left-hand post. But the Reds saw it home to the end, Lewandowski only being denied a hat-trick by sub Leon Balogun's desperate lunge, and secured a record-equalling seventh straight win at the start of a season.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

FSV MAINZ - FC BAYERN 0-3 (H-T: 0-0)

FSV Mainz 05

Karius - Brosinski, Bungert, Bell, Bengtsson - Baumgartlinger, Latza (Moritz 73) – Clemens (Balogun 81), Malli (Jairo 67), De Blasis - Muto

ERSATZ

Curci, Bussmann, Zimling, Niederlechner

FC Bayern

Neuer - Rafinha, Javi Martinez (Boateng 67), Xabi Alonso, Alaba - Lahm, Thiago - Coman, Müller (Vidal 58), Douglas Costa (Götze 70) - Lewandowski

ERSATZ

Ulreich, Juan Bernat, Kimmich, Rode

SCHIEDSRICHTER

Bastian Dankert (Rostock)

ZUSCHAUER

34,000 (capacity)

TORE

0-1 Lewandowski (51), 0-2 Lewandowski (63), 0-3 Coman (68)

GELBEKARTEN

Baumgartlinger / Alonso

FIVE-GOAL SUPER-SUB LEWANDOWSKI STUNS WOLVES

Second-half sub Robert Lewandowski single-handedly fired Bayern to an extraordinary 5-1 win over title rivals VfL Wolfsburg on Tuesday night, the Polish striker blasting five goals in a stunning nine-minute spell leading up to the hour mark. Lewandowski’s heroics meant Bayern enhanced their already impressive record during the world-famous Oktoberfest and also maintained their perfect start to the 2015/16 Bundesliga campaign.

The teams went into the match second and third in the table but the Reds’ thumping victory over one of the league’s genuine title contenders takes Pep Guardiola’s team back to the top of the standings overnight.

The 75,000 full house at the Allianz Arena saw the home side make the early running but the visitors take the lead through Daniel Caligiuri after 26 minutes. However, nothing could have prepared the crowd for the startling events after Lewandowski’s half-time introduction as the Pole helped himself to an historic five goals in a truly breathtaking ten minute spell.

A sixth win in six matches sees the Reds reclaim first place in the table on the maximum 18 points, at least until Dortmund’s trip to Hoffenheim on Wednesday. The Bavarians are back in action away to Mainz on Saturday, before the home Champions League meeting with Dynamo Zagreb on Tuesday 29 September.

FOUR CHANGES FOR PEP

Bayern coach Guardiola made four changes to the team that beat Darmstadt at the weekend, with Philipp Lahm, Thomas Müller, Thiago and Xabi Alsonso returning to the side in place of Kingsley Coman, Joshua Kimmich, Rafinha and Sebastian Rode, who all began on the bench along with Lewandowski.

The home team lined up with Manual Neuer in goal, Juan Bernat, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng and captain Lahm in defence, Alonso in the holding role, Arturo Vidal and Thiago in central midfield, and Mario Götze, Müller and Douglas Costa up front.

For the Wolves, ex-FCB men Dante and Luiz Gustavo formed an all-Brazilian central defensive unit along with their fellow-countryman Naldo.

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A GOAL DOWN AT THE BREAK

Following an official farewell to Dante and a minute’s silence in memory of former FCB coaching great Dettmar Cramer, referee Tobias Stieler whistled play underway on a wet night in Munich. The sides felt each other out for the first ten minutes before the men in red took the initiative, Vidal shooting over the bar, Müller whipping a shot just wide from Costa’s lay-off, and VfL keeper Diego Benaglio saving from the Brazilian.

But the Wolves fired off a warning shot after 18 minutes when Julian Draxler came up inches short of opening the scoring, an honour reserved for Caligiuri on 26 minutes with an unstoppable thunderbolt past Neuer from ten yards out.

Munich immediately went in search of an equaliser but Benaglio saved from Costa, with Draxler warming Neuer’s gloves at the other end. The keeper almost gifted the Wolves a second when he raced 40 yards from goal only to lose possession, but Josuha Guilavogui’s long-range chip drifted wide of the goal and the sides turned round with Dieter Hecking’s men a goal up.

LEWY’S STUNNING HAUL

Guardiola made two changes for the second half with Javi Martinez and Lewandowski replacing Bernat and Thiago. And the Polish hitman exploded onto the scene with a stunning five-goal blast in the 51st, 52nd, 54th, 57th and 60th minutes, single-handedly taking his side from 1-0 down to 5-1 up in the space of under nine minutes.

Lewandowski’s first was a close-range finish after great work from Vidal and Müller; his second was a skimming drive from outside the box and past Benaglio’s outstretched right hand; his third was testament to the striker’s persistence as he buried the follow-up following a shot against the post and a Benaglio save; his fourth was a right-footed belter from Costa’s cross; and his fifth a sumptuous volley on the full from a Götze cross.

The pace dropped a shade after the breathtaking spell but there were still chances for the men in red, Müller seeing his shot saved and yet another Lewandowski effort being cleared off the line. The Pole and his team-mates might have had more, but as it was the match will be remembered as the evening when Lewandowski wrote a new chapter in Bundesliga history.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

FC BAYERN – VFL WOLFSBURG 5-1 (H-T: 0-1)

FC Bayern

Neuer - Lahm, Boateng, Alaba, Juan Bernat (Javi Martinez 46) - Xabi Alonso (Kimmich 78) – Thiago (Lewandowski 46), Vidal - Götze, Douglas Costa - Müller

ERSATZ

Ulreich, Rafinha, Coman, Rode

VfL Wolfsburg

Benaglio - Träsch, Dante, Naldo, Rodriguez - Luiz Gustavo (Arnold 58), Guilavogui - Caligiuri, Draxler, Kruse (Schürrle 78) – Dost (Bendtner 78)

ERSATZ

Grün, Jung, Klose, Schäfer

SCHIEDSRICHTER

Tobias Stieler (Hamburg)

ZUSCHAUER

75,000 (capacity)

TORE

0-1 Caligiuri (26), 1-1 Lewandowski (51), 2-1 Lewandowski (52), 3-1 Lewandowski (54), 4-1 Lewandowski (57), 5-1 Lewandowski (60)

GELBEKARTEN

- / Rodriguez

WORLD-CLASS LEWANDOWSKI MAKES HISTORY

The 75,000 crowd at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening saw history in the making as Robert Lewandowski set a string of new records in the top Bundesliga clash between Bayern and VfL Wolfsburg. The striker came on as a half-time sub and struck no fewer than five goals in nine minutes.

“That was madness!” Lewandowski himself declared, “five goals - unbelievable! I’m very, very pleased. It’s a massive evening for me.”

Pep Guardiola watched with increasing disbelief as his number nine racked up the goals. “I can’t explain it,” the coach confessed, “I’m delighted for Robert.” Jérôme Boateng described Lewandowski as “one of the best forwards in the world. I’m just glad he’s on my team.”

The man himself collected a match ball signed by his team-mates before speaking to reporters in the Allianz Arena mixed zone. “What a wonderful bakll,” Lewy said, “I’m taking that one home.” It was a deserved souvenir of a truly memorable evening’s work with a set of new records to match:

• Lewandowski scored the fastest five-goal haul in Bundesliga history.
• Lewandowski scored the fastest four-goal haul in Bundesliga history.
• Lewandowski scored the fastest hat-trick in Bundesliga history.
• Lewandowski is the first sub in Bundesliga history to score five goals.
• Lewandowski’s five-goal tally is the Bundesliga’s first in 24 years. Michael Tönnies previously netted five for Duisburg against Karlsruhe on 27 August 1991.
• Lewandowski is the 14th player to net five or more goals in a Bundesliga match. Only Gerd Müller managed the feat more than once: Der Bomber did it four times.
• It is the 16th five-goal haul in a Bundesliga match. Only Dieter Müller scored more often in a match with six for Köln against Bremen in August 1977.
• Lewandowski leads the league scoring chart on eight goals. Only four players have scored more in the first six Bundesliga matches with nine each, most recently Jupp Heynckes for Gladbach in 1973/74.

DANTE: 'MIA SAN MIA' IS FOREVER

Three and a half weeks ago, Dante Bonfim Costa played for FC Bayern in the 3-0 win against Leverkusen. Next day the Brazilian decided to join VfL Wolfsburg and now he is set to return to the Allianz Arena for the first time on Tuesday night. He will receive an official send-off from FC Bayern before the match.

Dante made 133 competitive appearances (scoring five goals) in his three years with Germany's most successful club. In this time he won three German league titles, two DFB Cups, the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. Ahead of the reunion, the soon to be 32-year-old spoke to the Bayern Magazine.

INTERVIEW: DANTE

Dante, we soon meet again. How does it feel to know you will be in the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night but not in a Bayern shirt?
Dante: "It definitely feels good to be back again. The three years in Munich were great and I have a lot of positive memories from that time. I'm looking forward to seeing former team-mates, fans, coaches and staff again."

Three years in Munich, three very successful years at FC Bayern: What were your best moments in your time here?
Dante: "The best thing was winning the Champions League. The club had waited a long time for that success. And then we did it in my first year here. It was a very emotional moment."

You were very popular at the club, in the dressing room and also with the fans. Who or what do you miss most?
Dante: "I can't really say. I actually miss everybody and I can say that from the bottom of my heart. I made a lot of friends in Munich – including team-mates, staff members and fans – and of course I particularly miss them."

How have your first few weeks been at your new club VfL Wolfsburg? Have your compatriots Naldo and Luiz Gustavo helped you to settle in?
Dante: "I was able to fit in with the team very quickly and of course Naldo and Luiz played their part in that. They told me a lot of good things about the team and the club before I went there. I already feel very much at home."

If the coach Dieter Hecking asks you about Bayern's strengths and weaknesses what will you say to him?
Dante: (laughs) "I'd rather not tell you that."

At FC Bayern you learned what it means to have to win every game. Will that mentality help you at Wolfsburg or can you help your new team with a bit of Mia san Mia, ‘we are who we are’?
Dante: "The feeling of ‘we are who we are’ will be with me forever. But I have to say that I always had the mentality of wanting to win everything and not wanting to relax after winning. The management at VfL knew that and that's why they brought me to Wolfsburg."

How far do you think VfL can go in the three competitions?
Dante: "We got off to a good start against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. But you could see we’re capable of playing better. We face a very tough task against Bayern in the DFB Cup. But we have the advantage of being at home. FC Bayern and Dortmund are doing well in the league. Our aim is to finish in the top three to make sure we qualify for the Champions League. Perhaps we’ll end up with a title."

You're coming to Munich with Wolfsburg at the time of the Oktoberfest. Did you like going to the Oktoberfest in lederhosen? And will you be able to go this year?
Dante: "I think I really suit lederhosen (laughs). But I won't be able to make the Oktoberfest this year as we've got so many games coming up. I always used to really like going there. The whole culture with the Bavarian food and the big beer glasses – the Germans know how to have fun."

GUARDIOLA: I’M VERY PLEASED

Bayern maintained their 100 percent record in the Bundesliga with a 3-0 victory away to Darmstadt 98 on Saturday, a result much to Pep Guardiola’s liking. “It’s not easy to come here and win after playing in the Champions League,” said the coach, singling out Joshua Kimmich and Sebastian Rode for special praise and making no secret of his delight at Javi Martínez’ comeback.

REACTION TO DARMSTADT V BAYERN:

Pep Guardiola: “I’m very, very pleased. Our approach to the game was excellent. We conceded very few corners and free-kicks, and we battled well. It’s not easy to come here and win after playing in the Champions League. I’m delighted for Javi Martínez, I’ve really missed him over the last year. I’m also very pleased with Kimmich and Rode. Both deserve more playing minutes than I can give them, and they’ve shown me that again today.”

Sebastian Rode: “The early lead was important. Darmstadt play a simple game, but they play it very well. They made a couple of chances, but we shut them out in the second half and we ultimately deserved the victory. Every footballer wants to play, but if you see who Bayern send out onto the field, it’s not easy to get into the team. You have to wait for your chance. Today, I’ve proved again that I can do it. I’m delighted.”

Joshua Kimmich: “Every kid who plays football dreams of appearing in the Bundesliga one day. If you then do so for Bayern it’s obviously massive and I’m really thrilled today.”

Dirk Schuster (Darmstadt coach): “The opening goal was a case of hit and hope. We defended very well until the 60th minute. We restricted them to very few chances from open play and showed we were willing to try and get at them. We wanted to irritate Bayern for as long as possible, but we let in the second and the third in quick succession and it was exhibition stuff from Bayern after that. It was a deserved win and the right margin of victory.”

PATIENT REDS DOWN DARMSTADT AND GO TOP

Bayern marked the start of the 182nd Oktoberfest in style on Saturday afternoon, making it five wins out of five in the Bundesliga this term with a fully merited 3-0 victory away to previously unbeaten newcomers SV Darmstadt. The result in the first meeting between the teams for almost 34 years means Pep Guardiola’s men are now the league’s outright leaders, at least overnight.

The 17,000 capacity crowd at the venerable Böllenfalltor Stadium saw Arturo Vidal blast the champions into a 20th-minute lead with his first Bundesliga goal for the Reds. Darmstadt resisted stoutly but quality prevailed after the break and Kingsley Coman crowned a good debut in the starting line-up with the 62nd-minute second, comebacker Sebastian Rode adding the third only a minute later.

The men from Munich now top the standings on the maximum 15 points, although Dortmund can draw level if they beat Leverkusen on Sunday afternoon. The top flight action comes thick and fast in the traditionally packed early-autumn period as the Bavarians entertain third-placed Wolfsburg in Tuesday’s big game, before travelling to face high-flying FSV Mainz on Saturday 26 September.

ROTATION TIME FOR PEP

For the first time this season, Guardiola comprehensively shuffled his deck with five changes to the team that beat Olympiacos in the midweek Champions League opener.

The survivors from the clash in Piraeus were Manuel Neuer, Douglas Costa, Jerome Boateng, Juan Bernat, David Alaba and Vidal, who were joined by Rafinha and Mario Götze, with Rode making a first start since Matchday 33 last term, and Coman and Joshua Kimmich beginning a Bundesliga match in Bayern colours for the first time.

It also gave the FCB bench a stellar look as backup keeper Sven Ulreich sat alongside Thiago, Javi Martinez, Xabi Alonso, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Müller, with Robert Lewandowski excused duty after picking up a knock in midweek.

ARTURO WITH THE OPENER

After referee Felix Zwayer whistled play underway, the pattern for the afternoon’s entertainment was quickly established as the visitors controlled possession and the minnows vigorously defended, restricting FCB to Vidal’s slightly miscued effort from a fine Coman pass after ten minutes and Costa’s free-kick into the side-netting nine minutes later.

But the men in red had the lead with 20 minutes on the clock after Costa weaved past two men and found Vidal, the Chilean taking a touch to control before clattering a 25-yard piledriver into the net off home keeper Christian Mathenia’s left-hand post.

The Lilies were initially undeterred and Neuer was forced into a scrambling save from rangy striker Dominik Stroh-Engel, before Marcel Heller fired into the side-netting after the ball ran loose from a tangle between Stroh-Engel and Boateng. However, Bayern were refused what looked a clear penalty on 33 minutes when Fabian Holland felled Rode in the box, Mr Zwayer waving the strong claim aside. Costa arrowed a shot wide but there were no further chances of note before the interval.

DOUBLE WHAMMY SEALS THE POINTS

The first ten minutes after the restart were a stalemate as the home team fought for every loose ball and Guardiola’s men probed for openings. Mathenia clawed away Coman’s deflected shot and Götze speared into the side-netting from a glorious Kimmich pass, but at the other end Lilies’ sub and former FCB man Sandro Wagner failed to make the most of a headed opening.

But the champions never looked in trouble and effectively wrapped up the points with a double whammy just after the hour: Coman opened his Bayern account and made it 2-0 after excellent work down the right by Rode, who himself added the third less than a minute later with a solo run, shot and finish at the second attempt after his initial effort rebounded from the far post.

Martinez and Müller now replaced Vidal and Costa, but Darmstadt’s brave resistance was in any case broken, evidenced by near own-goals from both Aytac Sulu and Holland. Alonso took over from Boateng for the last 15 minutes but the Spaniard lofted a direct free-kick over the bar as the game wound down to its conclusion and another three points for the champions.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

SV DARMSTADT - FC BAYERN 0-3 (H-T: 0-1)

SV Darmstadt 98

Mathenia - Garics, Sulu, Caldirola, Holland – Niemeyer (Rosenthal 69), Gondorf - Heller, Rausch (Vrancic 77) - Kempe - Stroh-Engel (Wagner 59)

ERSATZ

Zaluska, Sailer, Junior Diaz, Jungwirth

FC Bayern

Neuer - Rafinha, Boateng (Alonso 72), Alaba, Bernat – Vidal (Martínez 66), Kimmich, Rode - Coman, Götze, Costa (Müller 68)

ERSATZ

Ulreich, Thiago, Lahm

SCHIEDSRICHTER

Felix Zwayer (Berlin)

ZUSCHAUER

17,000 (capacity)

TORE

0-1 Vidal (20), 0-2 Coman (62), 0-3 Rode (63)

GELBEKARTEN

Wagner, Sulu / Martínez

DETTMAR CRAMER WAS A GREAT MAN

Dettmar Cramer, who has died at the age of 90, spent almost three years as FC Bayern head coach between 1975 and 1977. He decisively shaped the history of what would become Germany’s most successful club by masterminding back to back victories in the European Cup (1975, 1976) and sealing an Intercontinental Cup triumph (1976), thereby laying the foundations for the club’s rise to prominence at home and abroad. Cramer passed away on Thursday at his home in Reit im Winkl.

“To many people, Dettmar Cramer was more than merely a sporting figure,” commented FC Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “To me he was like a fatherly friend, and the biggest influence on my early years as a professional. To a large extent, I have him to thank that I was very successful as a footballer. FC Bayern mourns the loss of a great coach and special individual.”

If anyone knew how a globetrotter really feels, it was Dettmar Cramer. The future Bayern boss was the first German coach to take the plunge and go abroad – he spread the word in over 90 countries during his career.

DOUBLE EUROPEAN CUP TRIUMPH

Cramer worked for FIFA up to 1974 as an instructor and coach in some 70 countries before coaching the USA national team for a few months. He finally arrived at FC Bayern in January 1975 – and was successful straight away. “He is the only coach to win the Champions League twice with Bayern Munich – back then it was called the European Cup,” recalled Rummenigge, who sees the 1976 Final at Hampden Park, a 1-0 win against Saint-Étienne, as the “greatest triumph.”

The only title he failed to win was the Bundesliga. The 1.65 metre tall coach, who was once mocked by Sepp Maier due to his diminutive stature (Cramer: “Sepp just has a different sense of humour”), certainly revelled in being photographed wearing a Napoleon fancy dress outfit. He enjoyed a very close relationship with Franz Beckenbauer, as Cramer explained: “When Franz and I are together we’re always on the same wavelength.”

Cramer left Munich for Eintracht Frankfurt in December 1977 but moved on again at the end of the season. After spells in Saudi Arabia and Greece he returned to the Bundesliga in 1982 with Bayer Leverkusen. Cramer spent three years in the Rhineland before taking another overseas posting.

GLOBAL RENOWN

The football aficionado was always open to new cultural influences, in part to earn respect amongst his players. Before taking up a job in Japan at the end of the 1980s he used two pencils to practice using chopsticks. Within days he was able to divide up fried eggs with them much to his players’ admiration. Thanks to his abilities as a ‘professor of football’, as he was often called, Cramer is still seen as the father of the game in Japan.

There is nothing Cramer hated more than failure. “As long as better is possible, then good is not enough,” was his motto. “I’ve always tried to do a bit better.” Cramer has not just left a lasting impression as a coach, as Rummenigge declared. “He was a great coach – and, above all, a great man.”

‘IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO START WITH A WIN’

FC Bayern posted an ultimately comfortable 3-0 win away to Olympiacos on Wednesday night in a perfect start to the new Champions League campaign. “We were totally in control and made enough chances to win it,” said boss Pep Guardiola, describing himself as “very, very pleased” with the victory in the club’s 200th Champions League match. Two-goal Thomas Müller was “delighted to come away from here with three points.”

Pep Guardiola: “The first Champions League match in the group stage is always tough. Olympiacos hadn’t lost since April and won their last six Champions League matches at home. We were totally in control, they barely created anything and we made enough chances to win it. The second goal from Mario wrapped it up. All credit to my players. It’s a first step and I’m very, very pleased.”

Philipp Lahm: “We kept it very tight in defence and stopped our opponents getting at us on the break. That’s vital against this kind of team. Even when you’re in possession you have to be thinking about defending, and for long spells we did that very, very well. The atmosphere was a dream, just fantastic. You really enjoy your football when it’s like that, and I reckon it was obvious the whole team did just that.”

Thomas Müller: “I have to be honest and say the ball bobbled slightly before the opening goal. It was a little bit lucky but very important for us. We had difficulties in attack today because Olympiacos left us no space in the middle. It wasn’t easy in that atmosphere. Olympiacos had won all their last six home matches, but overall we controlled the game. We’re delighted to come away from here with three points. Winning the opening match is always important.

David Alaba: “We knew we would play opponents who were very strong in defence, so we’d have to be patient. It wasn’t easy here. We had to build up our moves from the back. I think we did it quite well.”

FRANZ BECKENBAUER'S HONOURS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

No-one in the game comes close to Franz Beckenbauer’s record of achievement. Both as a player and a coach, the Kaiser has won everything there is to win in world football, sharing with Brazilian Mario Zagallo the distinction of winning the World Cup in two capacities. Away from the field, Beckenbauer has assembled a remarkable list of awards. 

MAJOR HONOURS AS A PLAYER:

• World Cup 1974
• World Cup (runner-up) 1966
• World Cup (third place) 1970
• European championship 1972
• European championship (runner-up) 1976
• European Champions’ Cup 1974, 1975 and 1976
• UEFA Cup finalist 1982 (with Hamburger SV)
• European Cup Winners’ Cup 1967 with Bayern
• Intercontinental Cup 1976 with Bayern
• DFB German Cup 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971 with Bayern
• German championship 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974 with Bayern, 1982 with HSV
• North American Soccer League 1977, 1978, 1980 with New York Cosmos
• 1974 World Cup Silver Ball
• European Footballer of the Year 1972, 1976
• German Footballer of the Year 1966, 1968, 1974, 1976

MAJOR HONOURS AS COACH:

• World Cup 1990
• World Cup (runner-up) 1986
• UEFA Cup 1996 with Bayern
• German championship 1994 with Bayern
• French championship 1991 with Olympique Marseille.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1976
• FIFA Badge of Honour
• Silver Laurel Leaf 1966, 1967
• Bavarian Order of Merit 1982
• Golden Ring of Honour of the City of Munich 1982
• Honorary captain of Germany 1982
• Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1986
• Bambi 1986, 1990, 1995, 2000
• Golden Coin of Honour of the State Capital Munich 1995
• Third in the FIFA Player of the Century poll 1999
• FIFA Centennial Order of Merit 2004
• Honorary doctorate from the National Sports Academy Sofia 2004
• Bambi in the Millennium Bambi category 2005
• Bavarian First Minister’s personal award at the Bavarian Sports awards 2005
• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (highest honour) of the South American Confederation Conmebol 2006
• Lifetime achievement ‘Golden Sports Pyramid’ awarded by Deutsche Sporthilfe foundation 2006
• Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 2006
• Walther Bensemann special award  at the German Football and Culture awards 2006
• IFFHS Genius of World Football award 2007
• Laureus World Sports Awards lifetime achievement award 2007
• Inducted into German Sports Hall of Fame 2008
• Order of Merit of the State of North-Rhine Westphalia 2009
• FC Bayern Honorary President 2009
• German FA (DFB) Honorary Member
• FIFA Presidential Award 2013

RESILIENT REDS COME FROM BEHIND AND WIN LATE

Bayern go into their midweek Champions League group stage opener away to Olympiacos on the back of a win, but Saturday’s 2-1 success against Bavarian neighbours FC Augsburg was hard-fought to say the least as Pep Guardiola’s men came from behind and scored in the last minute to continue their perfect start to the 2015/16 Bundesliga campaign.

The 75,000 capacity crowd at the Allianz Arena saw the champions control the play for the whole of the first half but fall behind to Alexander Esswein’s opportunistic strike two minutes from the break. New signing Kingsley Coman made his FCB debut as a 56th-minute sub and Robert Lewandowski finally crowned an intense spell of Bayern pressure with the 77th-minute equaliser, before Thomas Müller netted a 90th-minute penalty to secure the points.

The result sees the Reds keep pace with Dortmund at the top of the standings as both teams have the maximum 12 points, with Wolfsburg four points back in third. Following the trip to Piraeus on Tuesday, the Bavarians are back in action in the Bavarian derby against FC Augsburg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday 12 September.

RUMMENIGGE RE-ELECTED ECA CHAIRMAN

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge continues to be the chairman of the European Club Association (ECA). Rummenigge was elected chairman for the fourth time at the General Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday. Rummenigge has been responsible for the representation of the interests of European football clubs since the inception of the ECA in 2008.

“I'm delighted to be elected for another two-year term and re-appointed as chairman,” said Rummenigge. “ECA's achievements since its inception in 2008 are remarkable and make all of us very proud. We are a well-respected association and are taken seriously at all levels. With the support of all member clubs, the newly elected Executive Board will face the upcoming challenge to ensure that the clubs' voice continues to be heard.”

The ECA board 2015-17:

Chairman: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (FC Bayern Munich)
First vice-chairman: Umberto Gandini (AC Milan)
Second vice-chairman: Pedro López Jiménez (Real Madrid)
Third vice-chairman: Evgeni Giner (CSKA Moscow)

Further members: Edward Woodward (Manchester United), Ivan Gazidis (Arsenal), Josep Maria Bartomeu (FC Barcelona), Andrea Agnelli (Juventus), Jean-Michel Aulas (Olympique Lyon), Edwin van der Sar (Ajax Amsterdam), Michael Verschueren (RSC Anderlecht), Theodore Giannikos (Olympiacos Piraeus), Dariusz Mioduski (Legia Warsaw), Peter Lawwell (Celtic Glasgow), Aki Riihilahti (HJK Helsinki)

In the first session the ECA executive board resolved that Rummenigge and Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli will also represent the European clubs on the UEFA Executive Committee.

PRO CONTRACTS FOR BENKO AND DORSCH

FC Bayern has offered professional terms to two of its most promising and talented young players. Fabian Benko (17) and Niklas Dorsch (17) from the U-23 reserve team have each signed a one-year apprentice pro contract through to 30 June 2016, followed by full professional contracts from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2018.

“We’re pleased to have secured these two major talents for FC Bayern,” commented sporting director Matthias Sammer, “they have performed with distinction in the FC Bayern youth section up to now and we believe they will continue to develop well at our club. Fabian Benko is a very creative attacking player, technically skilled and with a strong left foot. Niklas Dorsch is a more defensive midfielder who has demonstrated leadership qualities in his teams at FC Bayern and in German junior national teams.”