Bundesliga
Bundesliga
03.11.2009 13:33:39
Obafemi Martins struck twice for Wolfsburg against Mainz in the Bundesliga
A lot at stake for Bayern and Wolfsburg
Having lost the first leg against FC Girondins de Bordeaux two weeks ago, FC Bayern München certainly feel the pressure ahead of their home match against the French champions. Meanwhile VfL Wolfsburg know they need to keep Besiktas JK at bay in order to maintain their good position in Group B.
"A club like FC Bayern München always has to win. This doesn't always work out, but we have to beat Bordeaux." Bayern's coach Louis van Gaal is aware of the tense situation for the Bavarian giants heading into the fourth match of UEFA Champions League Group A.
Bordeaux in the lead
One of the worst Champions League performances in recent years saw Bayern lose to Bordeaux a fortnight ago and now they simply can't afford to slip up. However, the situation isn't all that bad considering Bayern have not lost a group match at home since moving into the Allianz Arena and a 1-0 victory will be enough to overtake Bordeaux again.
"The fans need to help us", skipper Mark van Bommel says. "We certainly feel the pressure but that's why we play Champions League." The Dutch holding midfielder will of course start, but Van Gaal is forced to make some changes as defender Daniel van Buyten and midfielder Thomas Müller were both sent off in Bordeaux and now serve a one match suspension.
Robben on the bench?
But Van Gaal does have an ace up his sleeve as Arjen Robben was rested against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday and is available as a super sub in the second half. Martin Demichelis will replace Van Buyten and there are several alternatives for Müller.
Regardless of personnel Bayern will be looking to exert pressure from the beginning and if the 66'000 in the Allianz Arena follow the 'captain's orders', things may look bright again for the Munich outfit at the end of the day.
No room for error
Things are a little bit different in Group B, where Bundesliga titleholders VfL Wolfsburg are currently second behind Manchester United FC. But the Wolves have little room for error, as Besiktas could move level on points if they were to win the encounter in the Inönü stadium today.
"We need to pay more attention defensively and have to use our chances better", coach Armin Veh said and still looked a bit grim after Wolfsburg threw away a comfortable 2-0 lead against FSV Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to only walk away with one point.
Grafite suspended
"Before we played our first match against Besiktas we set ourselves the goal to get four points against them. That's still possible", an optimistic midfielder Christian Gentner said. However Wolfsburg will have to do without striker Grafite, who is suspended after getting a red card in the first leg.
While this is certainly a blow, they don't have to panic just yet as Obafemi Martins showed he is in good form by scoring twice against Mainz last weekend. If they can implement Veh's demands and stabilize the defense, Wolfsburg's could make another step towards making their maiden UEFA Champions League campaign a huge success.
Bordeaux in the lead
One of the worst Champions League performances in recent years saw Bayern lose to Bordeaux a fortnight ago and now they simply can't afford to slip up. However, the situation isn't all that bad considering Bayern have not lost a group match at home since moving into the Allianz Arena and a 1-0 victory will be enough to overtake Bordeaux again.
"The fans need to help us", skipper Mark van Bommel says. "We certainly feel the pressure but that's why we play Champions League." The Dutch holding midfielder will of course start, but Van Gaal is forced to make some changes as defender Daniel van Buyten and midfielder Thomas Müller were both sent off in Bordeaux and now serve a one match suspension.
Robben on the bench?
But Van Gaal does have an ace up his sleeve as Arjen Robben was rested against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday and is available as a super sub in the second half. Martin Demichelis will replace Van Buyten and there are several alternatives for Müller.
Regardless of personnel Bayern will be looking to exert pressure from the beginning and if the 66'000 in the Allianz Arena follow the 'captain's orders', things may look bright again for the Munich outfit at the end of the day.
No room for error
Things are a little bit different in Group B, where Bundesliga titleholders VfL Wolfsburg are currently second behind Manchester United FC. But the Wolves have little room for error, as Besiktas could move level on points if they were to win the encounter in the Inönü stadium today.
"We need to pay more attention defensively and have to use our chances better", coach Armin Veh said and still looked a bit grim after Wolfsburg threw away a comfortable 2-0 lead against FSV Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to only walk away with one point.
Grafite suspended
"Before we played our first match against Besiktas we set ourselves the goal to get four points against them. That's still possible", an optimistic midfielder Christian Gentner said. However Wolfsburg will have to do without striker Grafite, who is suspended after getting a red card in the first leg.
While this is certainly a blow, they don't have to panic just yet as Obafemi Martins showed he is in good form by scoring twice against Mainz last weekend. If they can implement Veh's demands and stabilize the defense, Wolfsburg's could make another step towards making their maiden UEFA Champions League campaign a huge success.
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