‘Liberated’ Bayern back on track?

– Bayern Munich travel to Greece to face AEK Athens in the Champions League tonight boosted by a Bundesliga win that “felt like a liberation” after their miserable run of form and a stormy week behind the scenes.

The pressure was mounting on the German champions and new coach Niko Kovac during a four-match winless run to the extent that senior club figures including Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness launched a stunning attack on the media.

But Saturday’s 3-1 win over Wolfsburg, in which Robert Lewandowski

Berlin

scored twice to end a fivegame goal drought, is being hailed as a potential turning point for Bayern’s season.

“That felt like a liberation,” said centreback Mats Hummels, while sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was equally relieved. “We showed character in a difficult phase,” he said.

Tension rose on Friday when Rummenigge, Hoeness and Salihamidzic slammed the press for “disgusting and respectless” reporting of Bayern’s poor recent performances.

Saturday’s three points provided some calm at the Allianz Arena, but the pressure is still on Kovac heading to Athens, after a 1-1 home draw with Ajax last time out in Europe left Bayern’s Group E hopes in the balance.

Kovac was cautious about thoughts that Bayern will now rediscover the form which saw them romp to six straight German titles, describing the win at Wolfsburg as “just a small and first step in the right direction”.

But James Rodriguez, who scored a fantastic goal at the weekend, was more bullish, saying that Bayern are back in business.

“In a long season, these things always happen,” he said. –