Brilliant Bayern hit seven past Roma
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E-mail Xinhua, October 22, 2014
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Philipp Lahm (C) of FC Bayern München celebrates their victory at the end of their UEFA Champions League group stage match against AS Roma. |
Perfect games in football can be dangerous if the winner jumps to overenthusiastic conclusions.
Fans of Bayern Munich around the world certainly have no reason to be pessimistic after the German champion's 7-1 (5-0) thrashing of AS Roma in their third Group E match in the 2014/15 Champions League season.
It was one of Bayern Munich's most important concerns when they put together their playing and managerial staff. Avoid bad decision making, an inflated self-esteem and be concentrated at all times. If a team keeps to these rules, then there's nothing wrong with scoring seven goals on a Tuesday night.
One can bet that Bayern's Director of Football Matthias Sammer will immediately start talking about next Sunday's Bundesliga opponent as the club faces a thrilling duel with second-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola did a TV commercial a few month ago with Bayern sponsor and car manufacturer AUDI that appears to be attitude the club is striving for: Forget about your success, nothing is as old as the status quo. Let visions make you go forward, not your deeds.
Some Bavarians will soon talk about the German national team's behavior after the stunning 7-1 victory in the semifinal of 2014 World Cup against hosts Brazil when many Bayern players were in the winning team. The Germans were far from being overenthusiastic but concentrated on the next job, the final against Argentina, and got on with the long way that lay ahead of them. Meaning: Bayern is heading down the road to the Champions League final which takes place in Germany's capital Berlin next May. "The Champions league is the prettiest woman," said Guardiola.
After all perfect games are always an impressive calling card as well despite a healthy mentality in mind. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and all the rest of the so-called big boys in world football will sit up and notice Bayern's game in Rome's Stadio Olimpico and the goals scored by Arjen Robben (9th/30th), Mario Goetze (23rd), Robert Lewandowski (25th), Thomas Mueller (36th), Franck Ribery (78th) and Xerdan Shaqiri (80th). They didn't beat an underdog but Italy's second best team in Serie A. Gervinho got the consolation goal for Roma (66th).
And if a team doesn't let in a goal for all of 813 minutes, then it speaks for a exceptional defence and a well-organized game structure. Bayern is now on top of Group E with 9 points ahead of Roma (4) and Manchester City (2).
Bayern played with a well-organized three man defensive line-up (David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Mehdi Benatia) and 625 of the team's passes reached the target, Rome just 306. The Germans had 66 percent of the ball (Rome just 34). It was a perfect Bayern performance as the team dominated the game by immediately closing down the Italians and a quick attacking game in which they were given far too much space in midfield by the Italians over the 90 minutes which lead to a flood of goals.
Xabi Alonso, Mario Goetze Arjen Robben, Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski used the space for a spectacular clinical performance. It was football without compromises. It was a festival of football but not many of Bayern's staff will expect more of the same when the two meet again in Munich on November 5.
But after all, it now seems to be clear Bayern is a team that all other top teams will have to keep an eye on. The game against Roma was regarded as the first serious international test for a side that is dominating the domestic league, the Bundesliga. The football world now could listen to a similar story on the international stage.
It pays off now that Bayern coach Pep Guardiola seems to have a high potential of emotional intelligence as he balances the training sessions to keep his stars highly motivated.
Bayern's victory was a clear sign that the mentality of its players seems to spot on. No doubt Bayern is focused on what they desperately want to win this year: the Champions League. Philipp Lahm has just won the World Cup as the German captain but before his team took off for Rome he said: "I want to win that cup again, more than anything else."
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