Berlin (AFP)
"The team that best adapts to the new conditions will be the German champion." Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the boss of Bayern, believes in it: the ogre of the Bundesliga is going to make a mouthful Sunday (18:00) of the Union Berlin and then spin for an 8th consecutive title.
More than two months after their last match, the stars of the "Rekordmeister" find competition on the move in the capital: Lewandowski, the "serial goalscorer" arrested in March by an injury, is again in great shape and says "better than never." Before the break, he had 25 goals in 25 days.
The twirling wingers Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman are also available, as well as the middle conductor Thiago Alcantara.
In the standings, Bayern are leading with four points ahead of Dortmund. "There are nine games left, one mini-season, one small tournament," said coach Hansi Flick. "Everything starts from zero, and we hope that in the end we will have more points than our opponents," he insists.
To hear them, the Bavarians did not suffer from the period of confinement, followed by a brief resumption of training, in small groups first and then recently in full.
"When I see the sensations and the emotions that we have just put into training these past few days, it really shows our hunger to find real competition," said emblematic forward Thomas Müller in advance.
- "Win our nine matches" -
Against the Union Berlin, 11th in the classification, three Munichois will miss the call. The German Niklas Süle, pillar of the central defense and still recovering (left knee), hopes to play again by the end of the season. French world champion Corentin Tolisso and Brazilian Philippe Coutinho are both recovering from an ankle surgery in late April.
Nothing to worry about Flick in position to win the first title of his career as head coach at the end of June, at 55 years old.
Without being able to play friendly games, the team however lacked benchmarks, and the coach showed modesty at the pre-match press conference, via video conference: "Union Berlin is a team with great mental strength. It's going to be the same as if they had their audience: an aggressive team, which plays vertically towards the opposing goal. We will have to hold on. "
"Our football skills alone will not be enough. We will have to show character and go to duels. If we just play good football, we will not win our last nine games!" Warns Flick.
- "We will show them!" -
As for whether the Bavarians will adapt to the closed door, they who usually play at home in front of 75,000 spectators and are everywhere greeted by opposing opposing supporters, Flick has his answer: "It is certain, the Bundesliga will be different : the fans and the emotion are the Alpha and the Omega. Everyone prefers to play in front of spectators, but the conditions will be the same for all the teams. "
In a way, behind closed doors could even benefit Benjamin Pavard's teammates: they will not have to face the two hottest audiences in Germany, that of the Union on Sunday and that of Dortmund (May 26, 6:30 p.m. ), for the "Klassiker" of the Bundesliga.
Even if Rummenigge refutes the argument with the plumb of the powerful: "witch cauldrons on the move, we often get motivation, like: + We'll show them, guys! +".
Dortmund, second at four points, and Leipzig, third at five lengths, still hope to stop the triumphal march of the defending champions. But even Julian Nagelsmann, the ambitious coach from Leipzig, recognized this week: "If Bayern is in its best shape, it is he who will win the Schale", the trophy of the champion.
© 2020 AFP