Toni & Gomez battle for Bayern berth
Reuters - Monday 02 November 2009, 02:01
BERLIN - Italian striker Luca Toni looks to
have beaten Mario Gomez in their battle for a Bayern Munich
starting spot for Tuesday's Champions League match against
Girondins Bordeaux.
Toni, who scored midweek against Eintracht Frankfurt in the
German Cup and carved out several chances in Saturday's goalless
draw with VfB Stuttgart straight after coming on, may have done
enough to confine 30-million-euro striker Gomez to the bench.
Gomez, the Bundesliga's most expensive signing, was picked
to start against his former club Stuttgart but coach Louis van
Gaal hinted Toni, who missed much of the early season with a
heel injury, would be his choice against Bordeaux.
"The reason Gomez (started) was that he is from here and he
knows the grass, he knows the pitch," Van Gaal said. "But Toni
had played four matches in a row and I have to think about
Bordeaux."
With only four points from three matches, the Bavarians have
so far failed to meet expectations, lying in third place in
Group A, a point behind Juventus and three off leaders Bordeaux.
With injured playmaker Franck Ribery out for several weeks
and in-form Thomas Mueller suspended, Van Gaal will have to rely
on the speed of midfielder Arjen Robben, just back from a knee
injury, to set the pace in Munich on Tuesday.
Bayern will also be missing defender Daniel van Buyten who,
like Mueller, was red-carded in their 2-1 defeat in Bordeaux
last month, with Argentine Martin Demichelis the most likely
replacement.
Ligue 1 leaders Bordeaux geared up for the game with a
clinical 1-0 win against Monaco on Saturday.
They once again proved dangerous on set pieces, with
defender Marc Planus poking the ball home after Stephane Ruffier
had parried a Marouane Chamakh header from a Wendel free kick.
"It was a good game to prepare for the Bayern game," said
midfielder and captain Alou Diarra. "We can approach this
Champions League match serenely. We will travel there to take at
least a point. We expect a tough game."
Bordeaux's mission will not be an easy one, warned Diarra.
"Bayern have their back to the wall ... but we will go there
aiming to spring a surprise."
Bordeaux will be almost at full strength, with only
Brazilian centre back Henrique set to miss the game with a knee
injury.
Probable teams:
Bayern Munich: 22-Hans-Joerg Butt; 4-Edson Braafheid,
6-Martin Demichelis, 28-Holger Badstuber, 21-Philipp Lahm;
23-Danijel Pranjic, 17-Mark van Bommel, 10-Arjen Robben,
31-Bastian Schweinsteiger; 9-Luca Toni, 18-Miroslav Klose
Bordeaux: 1-Cedric Carasso; 21-Mathieu Chalme; 27-Marc
Planus, 2-Michael Ciani; 28-Benoit Tremoulinas; 4-Alou Diarra,
5-Fernando, 7-Yoan Gouffran, 8-Yoann Gourcuff, 17-Wendel;
29-Marouane Chamakh