BAYERN MUNICH COULD claim a third Bundesliga title next weekend following Saturday’s hard-fought 2-0 win at Hoffenheim, but have fresh injury worries ahead of Tuesday’s crucial clash against Porto.
Bayern face a make-or-break Champions League quarter-final second leg against Porto in Munich having lost 3-1 in Portugal in the first leg last week.
They need to score at least twice at the Allianz Arena to avoid a quarter-final exit, but have a lengthy injury list.
Depending on results elsewhere, next weekend’s league clash at home to Hertha Berlin could be when Bayern are finally confirmed champions after Sebastian Rode’s first-half strike and an own-goal from Hoffenheim captain Andreas Beck gave them three more points on Saturday.
With second-placed Wolfsburg at home to Schalke on Sunday, Bayern extended their lead to 13 points with five games left, but worryingly for coach Pep Guardiola left-back Juan Bernat had to be helped off in the first half.
Bayern were already missing captain Philipp Lahm and his deputy Bastian Schweinsteiger with illness in Hoffenheim, while wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben and defenders Medhi Benatia and David Alaba are long-term casualties.
Guardiola named a weakened side at the Rhein-Neckar Arena with 18-year-old Gianluca Gaudino and Mitchell Weiser, who turns 21 on the day of the Porto game, included either side of Rode in midfield.
Bayern took the lead in Sinsheim when Rode fired past a posse of defenders from the edge of the area on 38 minutes.
Hoffenheim were unlucky not to be level at the break as striker Anthony Modeste failed to capitalise on a mistake by Dante, whose error led to a goal in Porto, and Eugen Polanski should have won a penalty after being tripped by Rode in the area.
The hosts’ misery was completed when Beck turned Thomas Mueller’s cross into his own net deep in injury time.
There was controversy earlier in the week when long-time Bayern team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt quit after reportedly being blamed for the spate of injuries.
This clip also emerged of Pep seemingly clapping sarcastically towards the bench after yet another injury.
https://vine.co/v/ezhLtxI7hnm
- © AFP 2015
