Philipp Lahm Satisfied With A Point After Bayern Munich Draw With Hamburg

Bayern Munich fell further off the pace of the Bundesliga leaders on Friday evening as they were held to a frustrating draw against Hamburg, though Philipp Lahm doesn’t believe the 0-0 scoreline was especially catastrophic.

Head coach Louis van Gaal indicated his belief that his side should have picked up the full complement of point immediately after the game, but Germany captain Lahm has suggested getting anything from the fixture at all should be considered a minor success.

“Obviously, we wanted to come away with the three points, but HSV had a huge chance to win it at the end, so we have to be satisfied with a point. After all, HSV aren’t just any old team,” the defender told his club’s official website in the aftermath of the fixture. “Overall it was a reasonable performance, but we need more determination and precision in the final third.”

Injury-hit Bayern presently lie ninth in the Bundesliga standings, nine points behind Borussia Dortmund and Mainz, having played a game more.

German champion Bayern Munich stunned by lowly Kaiserslautern

BERLIN — Promoted Kaiserslautern stunned champions Bayern Munich with two goals in 60 seconds to win 2-0 on Friday to go top of the Bundesliga with six points from two games.

The hosts, playing in front of a sellout 49,780 crowd, struck against the run of play when Croatian midfielder Ivo Ilicevic hammered a brilliant shot from 20 metres in the 36th minute.

A minute later Ilicevic, who was sent off near the end for a second caution, turned provider to set up countryman Srdan Lakic who slotted his third goal in two matches.

Bayern, who won their opening game of the season, desperately tried to claw their way back in the second period but squandered half a dozen chances mainly through former Kaiserslautern striker Miroslav Klose, Ivica Olic and Toni Kroos.

"Over 90 minutes we were the better team and had better chances but it was just not meant to be tonight," Bayern defender Philipp Lahm told reporters.

Bayern, still missing winger Arjen Robben through injury but with Croat Olic back in the team, took control early on and missed a good chance when Thomas Mueller sent the ball wide from 12 metres midway through the first half.

The visitors, though, were left with a mountain to climb after Ilicevic and Lakic struck.

"A key moment was Mueller's chance. We survived that and then we played with a lot of heart," said Kaiserslautern coach Marco Kurz.

The Bavarians deserved a goal in the second half but lacked the final touch as Kaiserslautern, who lost only twice at home in 17 matches last season, held on.

"We played well up until the final pass. Kaiserslautern though made space tight for us and had a lot of passion," said Bayern coach Louis van Gaal.

On Saturday, last season's runners-up Schalke 04 will hope to pick up their first points of the campaign when they host Hanover 96.

Last gasp win for champs

Two of Germany's World Cup heroes earned Bayern Munich a last-gasp victory over Steve McClaren's Wolfsburg in the opening game of the Bundesliga season at the Allianz Arena.

Bastian Schweinsteiger slid home an injury-time winner to condemn the former England boss to defeat in his first league game in charge.

Edin Dzeko had earlier cancelled out Thomas Muller's excellent ninth-minute opener.
Muller was one of the stars in South Africa, winning the Golden Boot as Germany reached the semi-finals, and he continued that form tonight with a fine piece of control and a volleyed finish.

The 20-year-old played a one-two with another member of that young German squad, Toni Kroos, back at Bayern after a spell on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, racing into the area to receive Kroos' dinked return pass, instantly controlling the ball as it came over his shoulder and then, as he held of defender Simon Kjaer, firing a low left-footed volley into the far right corner.

Muller, who scored five times at the World Cup, should have netted again in the 25th minute but could only fire over the top after Ribery's low cross from the left had found him unmarked beyond the back post.
Ribery was looking lively and his pass picked out left-back Diego Contento's run into the area and his shot towards the near bottom corner was saved smartly by goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.

The Wolves came out for the second half with far more purpose and were denied by the post within two minutes, Mario Mandzukic seeing his shot from just outside the area come back off the frame of the goal.
Bayern keeper Hans-Jorg Butt almost cost his side shortly after as his poor clearance presented the ball straight to half-time substitute Zvjezdan Misimovic.

The Bosnian shifted the ball on to his left foot to create an excellent shooting chance, but Butt's outstretched left foot deflected the ball away.

But Bayern's reprieve was short-lived as Dzeko, who was strongly linked with a move to Manchester City this summer, rose unmarked to head the resulting corner from Misimovic into the top corner in the 55th minute.

Dzeko then saw another effort tipped over the top by Butt before the hosts snatched the points at the death.
Ribery was again involved, sending in a cross from the left which had Benaglio scrambling across his goal and Schweinsteiger arrived at the far post to slide home the winner.

Casillas heroics help Real beat Bayern

BAYERN MUNICH 0-0 REAL MADRID (REAL WIN 4-2 ON PENALTIES)

August 14, 2010

Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout to win a pre-season friendly at the Allianz Arena, a testimonial game for the German club's honorary president Franz Beckenbauer.

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Iker Casillas won't hold a biggger trophy this season

Iker Casillas saved three penalties - one in normal time and two in the shootout - to earn Jose Mourinho's side victory. Madrid won the shootout 4-2 after the game had ended goalless.

It was the second time Mourinho had got the better of Louis van Gaal in a matter of months, following his success when Inter Milan manager in the Champions League final in May.

Holger Badstuber missed the best opportunity to break the deadlock in only the eighth minute when he saw his penalty saved by Casillas, who then got up to block Thomas Muller's follow-up. Bayern were close to getting a second penalty when Franck Ribery had his shirt tugged by Sergio Ramos just before he entered the area with just Casillas to beat in the 16th minute.

Madrid's response came in the 20th minute when Sergio Ramos sent Gonzalo Higuain through on goal, but Hans-Jorg Butt made a save with his legs. Marcelo's shot from the edge of the area missed Butt's left-hand post by inches as chances fell at both ends in a lively first half.

Casillas was at his best to tip Danijel Pranjic's dipping shot over the crossbar before Higuain slid in to reach a low cross from the left, but sent his effort wide of the post. And Casillas was on hand again to deny both Ribery and Miroslav Klose in one on one situations before the interval.

Madrid substitute Rafael van der Vaart should have scored in the 62nd minute when he placed his shot into the side netting from an angle with an open goal to aim at.

At the other end, Bastian Schweinsteiger's shot grazed the outside of Casillas' post before Karim Benzema's cross was met by Cristiano Ronaldo's header, but Bayern's back-up goalkeeper Thomas Kraft made an instinctive save to deny him and ensure the game was decided on penalties.

Ronaldo, Van der Vaart, Xabi Alonso and Benzema were all on target for Madrid, while, although Badstuber netted for Bayern, Hamit Altintop and Edson Braafheid missed.

Bayern Munich win Super Cup

FC Bayern Munich started the new season as the old one had ended with a domestic trophy. The German Bundesliga giants, who had last season won the German double of league and cup, beat FC Schalke 04 in the season opening German Super Cup 2-0 at the Impuls Arena in Augsburg.
Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich

Bayern were forced to play without an injured Arjen Robben, a Franky Ribery who is in rehabilitation and rested captain Mark van Bommel and keeper Hans Joerg Butt; but still late goals from 2010 FIFA World Cup heroes Thomas Mueller and Miroslav Klose gave the Bavarians the title in the reinstated Super Cup. The Super Cup had been discontinued after the League Cup had been instated as a season opener with six teams playing each other in a knockout tournament, but with too many matches and teams, the League Cup was unpopular with the clubs and the Super Cup was brought back to life.

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal was expected to field a weaker side giving yunger players a chance with his World Cup stars only in training since earlier this week but Philipp Lahm, Holger Badstuber, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller and Miroslav Klose all made the starting line-up. But with the stars missing a lot of eyes were on Spanish star Raul, who had joined FC Schalke 04 only a few days back. But it was Bayern Munich who had more of the ball in the first session, still they couldn’t utilise their possession as they played their usual passing game against a Schalke, who only a week back had beaten Bayern in a friendly tournament match at the Arena auf Schalke.

After the break Bayern Munich upped the tempo a bit and could have gone ahead in the 52nd minute as Klose hit the post, but in the 75th minute Bayern took the lead through Thomas Mueller who received the ball from Klose. Only six minutes later Klose would double the lead and seal the match off an Ivica Olic pass. The latest trophy for the Bayern Munich cupboards of silverware.

After the match Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said, “This team is better than last year’s because everyone knows what they have to do.”

While van Gaal’s counterpart Schalke 04 coach Felix Magath was more realistic about their chances this season. “You must see that we haven’t yet got the quality to beat a high-level team,” Magath said.