Comments on: Bayern’s UEFA Cup Campaign in Numbers

By: Juliet

Juliet — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:40:50 +0000

Seriously, Real Madrid must feel like real idiots right now…

By: probek

probek — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:47:20 +0000

cum grano salis, Paul. Don’t be so friggin’ earnest with your analysis, can’t argue with you right now…

(does anyone from Real Madrid read this?)

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:05:43 +0000

Forget coefficients and points ranking, anyone who watches European football regularly should be able to clearly see that Bayern could not compete against top class opponents on a week in week out basis. They are the Celtic/Rangers of mainland Europe, very good in their little pond but can’t match it in the big leagues. They have been very poor in the CL in recent seasons and this year got found out by Getafe and then dessimated by St Petersburg. Munich are a long way from being a top European team, the image survives from past glories ala Tottenham.

By: probek

probek — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:23:54 +0000

If you add the country coefficient to the numbers (which UEFA does) Bayern are now at a fifth place in the team rankings, trailing only to Manchester, Chelsea, Barcelona and Liverpool (Rangers could edge them out, though, if they win the final without a penalty shootout). So for the sake of my nerves I happen to look at that ranking and some of the teams Bayern left behind this season: Arsenal, Inter, Real, Lyon and Hibernians FC.

By: diana

diana — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:41:14 +0000

Make the link I posted being three days ago if it’s 2 May at where you are. I had almost forgotten about it.

By: diana

diana — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:39:00 +0000

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3300850,00.html

It came out two days ago. Now reading it again, I wonder if it came out a little too early. No more treble to aim for, only a domestic double (unless counting in the League Cup they won, make that a ‘domestic treble’). Even as much I’m not a Bayern fan (Stuttgart being my club in the Bundesliga), a matter of time they are going to win the Bundesliga title.

Now we have to see what happens this weekend, then.

Oh yes. As I was watching the Deustche Welle’s Bundesliga Kick Off last week (the Karlsruhe’s Joshua Kennedy interview, which Jan posted in the latest Weekly Dose, was also part of what I saw last week on the programme), towards the end of it, there was something interesting. One trophy down (Kick Off showed the post-celebrations of the DFB-Pokal final), and it also listed the two possible dates which will eventually lead Bayern to the treble. As we saw last week, only a mathematical miracle can stop Bayern now from clinching their 21st Bundesliga title. No more heading to Manchester for the UEFA Cup final after the 4-0 loss to Zenit.

Yeah, the Bundesliga Kick Off even listed the date of the UEFA Cup final and a question mark behind it. All I know back then was that, for some reason, I was not really sure if they can actually achieve the treble. But that is me. I don’t know, given now Zenit had proved how good they are.

The Zenit-Bayern match started at 12.30am for me here on a Friday and when I was flipping through the channels before remembering about the match, one goal up already (that was before I headed for bed). I was thinking of the time when Bayern met Getafe in the second-leg of the UEFA Cup quarter-finals and thinking they may be able to pull through but now, not to be.

On a side note, Zenit coach Dick Advocaat will be reuniting with his former club Rangers in the final. (he used to coach Rangers at one time, as far as I understand) I used to read somewhere that he was hoping to face them in the final. It has happened.