Bayern Munich out to exorcise Gladbach defeat in derby
>> BERLIN: Bayern Munich host Ingolstadt in the first Bundesliga derby between the clubs today full of respect for their Bavarian neighbours, but determined to bounce back from their shock defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Pep Guardiola’s Bayern crashed to their first German league defeat of the season last Saturday when they were humbled 3-1 by thirdplaced Gladbach.
It was only Bayern’s second loss of the season, following a Champions League defeat at Arsenal, and Bayern are determined to protect their five point lead in the table.
“We have to play well and fight for everything, it won’t be an easy game,” said Robert Lewandowski, whose goals sealed a 2-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday with Bayern in the last 16 in Europe.
Ingolstadt deserve Bayern’s respect with a symmetrical record of five wins, five draws and five defeats in their first season in Germany’s top flight and are 11th in the table with 20 points.
Coach Ralph Hasenhuettl has kept most of the side which won last season’s second division title and they have drawn with Wolfsburg, Schalke and Moenchengladbach so far.
“They deserve to be where they are in the league and I hope they stay up,” said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm, who played alongside Hasenhuettl in the Bavarian youth football.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who lag five points behind Bayern, want to keep the pressure on Munich with a win at home to Eintracht Frankfurt tomorrow while Bayer Leverkusen and Moenchengladbach meet at the BayArena today.