Bayern travel to Ajax with a clear goal
AMSTERDAM: Resurgent Bayern Munich head to Ajax for tonight’s Champions League group showdown with clear winners and losers among the star-studded squad after Niko Kovac’s decision to end rotation.
“We want to keep going,” said Leon Goretzka, now a firm fixture in central midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich with Bayern having won their last three games after Saturday’s 3-0 league home win over Nuremberg.
“Now we travel to Amsterdam and want to finish first in the group — that’s important for us.”
Bayern need just a point at Ajax’s Johan Cruyff Arena to win Group E with the Bavarian giants currently top of the table, two points ahead of their Dutch rivals, and both teams already into the last 16.
A 5-1 thrashing of Benfica at the Allianz Arena a fortnight ago, with Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben both scoring twice, signified an end to the poor results of October and November which also saw Bayern slide down the Bundesliga table.
Bayern have now clawed their way back up to third in the league and coach Kovac has taken a gamble by ditching rotation, risking ruffled egos with stars left on the bench.
“The rhythm is there, the boys are in the flow — that’s why we don’t want to change anything,” explained Kovac.
His decision has significant winners and losers.
World Cup winners — Germany defender Mats Hummels, and Spain midfielder Javi Martinez — languished on the bench against Nuremberg alongside Euro 2016 winner Renato Sanches.
Martinez and Sanches find their path blocked by Kimmich and Goretzka, both 23, who each hit the woodwork against Nuremberg.
“Both have a very good understanding of football and read the game well,” said Kovac, at the helm at Bayern since July.
“They get on well off the pitch and are in the national team together.
“It’s an axis that’s really fun right now — not only for those two, but the whole team in the last three games.”
However, Hummels looked like he was having anything but ‘fun’, storming through the mixed zone after Saturday’s win without a word as Jerome Boateng and Niklas Suele are now established as Kovac’s centre-backs.
Disgruntled stars watching from Bayern’s bench has caused problems for Kovac’s predecessors and Robben’s imminent return from a thigh injury threatens Serge Gnabry’s place on the right wing.
Thiago Alcantara, a second-half replacement on Saturday who is returning to fitness after a knee injury, threatens to break up Kimmich and Goretzka’s partnership in central midfield.
However, Kovac’s decision has reaped dividends in attack with striker Robert Lewandowski scoring four goals in his last three games, supported by Thomas Mueller who is revelling in the attacking midfield role.
In Group F, Manchester City have already qualified and need just a point from their home tie against Hoffenheim to secure top spot.
The focus will be on what happens in Kiev where Shakhtar Donetsk must beat visitors Lyon to leapfrog the French side for second spot.
Lyon will top the group if they win and City lose, a combination which would see Hoffenheim squeeze past Shakhtar for the Europa League spot.
Group G, defending champions Real Madrid are through as group winners with Roma hanging on their coat-tails. Viktoria Plzen, away in Rome, need to match CSKA Moscow’s result in Madrid to reach the Europa League.
In Group H, Juventus and Manchester United have already stamped their tickets for the knockout stage, the only question being which will finish top of the group. Juve are in pole position as a win at Young Boys would make the United result irrelevant. But if Juve slip up in Berne, Joe Mourinho’s side will top the group with a victory in Valencia.