Battered Bayern seek quick fix for final
Reuters - Sunday 13 May 2012, 08:25
Bayern Munich are all too aware
they need to recover quickly from their 5-2 humiliation by
Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final on Saturday if they
are to have any chance of winning the Champions League decider
next week.
The Bundesliga runners-up suffered an embarrassingly heavy
defeat at the hands of double-winning Dortmund, a fifth straight
loss to their rivals, just a week before they take on Chelsea in
their own Allianz Arena for Europe's top prize.
"Obviously this defeat is very painful," disappointed Dutch
winger Arjen Robben told reporters.
"It is frustrating and we need to process this quickly
because from Monday onwards, there is only one direction and
that is the Champions League final."
While Bayern have been sensational in their run towards what
could be a fifth European crown, they have played second fiddle
to Dortmund in Germany all season.
An error-strewn performance, where sloppy mistakes gifted
Dortmund three of their five goals, did little to boost their
confidence ahead of what is the biggest match of the season and
the only way to rescue their campaign with some silverware.
"It was our own fault. Only we are to blame for losing the
league and cup titles," playmaker Bastian Schweinsteiger said.
Mistakes such as Luiz Gustavo's back-pass that led to
Dortmund's opener and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's failure to hold on
to the ball that allowed Robert Lewandowski to complete his
hat-trick could prove equally as costly against Chelsea.
"Every goal was a slap in the face. It was an embarrassment
but we need to draw the lessons from this defeat quickly,"
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added.
Coach Jupp Heynckes, who fielded a full-strength team
against Dortmund, knows it will be even harder against Chelsea
as left-back David Alaba, central defender Holger Badstuber and
midfielder Gustavo are suspended for the final.
"The game against Chelsea will be a completely different
game," assured Heynckes, who led Real Madrid to Champions League
victory in 1998.
"Obviously my players are disappointed but we will have
recovered from this shock by next week. We cannot allow
ourselves the same mistakes."