BERLIN: Eight points behind leaders Leverkusen, Bayern Munich have cast themselves in the unfamiliar role of “hunters” with one third of the season remaining.
Bayern have 11 matches to close the gap on Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten side who are pushing for a first-ever Bundesliga crown.
New Bayern sporting director Max Eberl told reporters his side, who have won the past 11 Bundesliga titles were “now playing the role of the hunter.”
Bayern play away at Freiburg on Friday, the same day Eberl officially starts work.
Since Leverkusen’s dominant 3-0 home win over Bayern earlier in February, Alonso’s side have played before Thomas Tuchel’s side each weekend, throwing down the gauntlet to the under-pressure Bavarians.
With Leverkusen however now in action mostly on Sundays due to midweek Europa League commitments, Bayern can up the pressure on Alonso’s men by playing first most weekends.
After three straight losses equalled their worst run since 2015, Bayern beat RB Leipzig last week, albeit needing a stoppage-time strike from Harry Kane.
Tuchel said Thursday the “last-minute win gave us self-confidence and a positive atmosphere, which is what you need to play good and successful football.
“We stopped the negative series. It gave us energy and I think we did well.”
With Bayern on the verge of a last 16 exit in the Champions League, Tuchel had one eye fixed on Tuesday’s home clash with Lazio, with the Italian side holding a 1-0 advantage.
The Bayern coach said the Lazio clash was “a completely different game” but told reporters “the best preparation for the coming match is always a successful match before.”
Colorful Freiburg coach Christian Streich said Thursday “Bayern will want to win at all costs — we’ll do everything we can to make it difficult for them.”
An eight-point lead at this point of the season has never been chased down in the history of the Bundesliga.
Bayern however will be hoping that their winning history, along with five-time runners-up Leverkusen’s reputation for finishing second will give them an advantage in the final stretch.
Before that match, Tuchel had said “we are the last ones who will stop believing.”
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke knows only too well what Bayern’s relentless pressure can do to a club.
Tuchel’s Bayern won the title on the final day of last season after Dortmund drew 2-2 at home against a Mainz side with nothing to play for.
“It’s not over” Watzke told AFP and other journalists on Tuesday.
“Don’t be sure that Bayern Munich is dead. Bayern is dead after the last match of the season and never before.”
Bayer Leverkusen have had several players hit career-best form this season under Xabi Alonso — but few have risen as far as forward Nathan Tella.
An Arsenal junior who spent most of his time in the lower divisions, the 24-year-old arrived in summer from Southampton, having impressed in a loan spell at Burnley.
The lightning-quick Tella has only improved since arriving in Germany — an achievement recognized by a Nigeria call-up.
He played a crucial role up front in Leverkusen’s 3-0 defeat of Bayern Munich which put the unbeaten side on course for a debut Bundesliga title.
Speaking with the Bundesliga website on Thursday, Tella credits Alonso for keeping the side focused.
“He doesn’t get too carried away. He doesn’t think too far in the future, only the next game and how to improve.
“If we won a game 3-0, he will look at why we didn’t win 4-0.
“We strive to be the best as a team — he brings that out of us.”
Bayer Leverkusen have 61 points with one third of the season remaining.
Last year, Bayern Munich won the title with 71.
Only five points separate Hoffenheim in seventh and Bochum in 15th in the Bundesliga’s mid-table traffic jam.
Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo has converted his past 13 penalties in a row in the Bundesliga.
Bayern focused on hunting down Leverkusen
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Bayern focused on hunting down Leverkusen
- New Bayern sporting director Max Eberl told reporters his side, who have won the past 11 Bundesliga titles were “now playing the role of the hunter”
- Bayern play away at Freiburg on Friday, the same day Eberl officially starts work
Jones leads after blemish-free 65 at Address Marassi
- Englishman holds 1-shot advantage as 3 players share second at Egypt Golf Series
AL-ALAMEIN, Egypt: England’s Ben Jones carded a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead at the Egypt Golf Series Address Marassi Golf Resort 2, the third event of the MENA Golf Tour’s four-tournament Egypt swing.
Jones holds a one-shot advantage over three players at six under — Italy’s Giovanni Manzoni, Scotland’s Michael Stewart and Spain’s Juan Salama — as players returned to the resort course for the second consecutive week.
Jones said: “It was a bit fortunate the first day by getting the right side of the wind and that’s when you have to take advantage of the course.”
“I hit it really solid all day, stayed out of trouble and had no dropped shots, so I’m really happy with that. It’s probably my best round of the year so far and hopefully I can keep that going.
“I nearly holed one on eight and for a second I thought it was in, and then on the final putt of the day I nearly grabbed another birdie. It hit the back of the hole but just didn’t drop. I maybe hit it a little firm because I misjudged the wind down there.”
Scotland’s Stewart said: “I played really nicely today. I felt like I had good control of my ball in the wind, which was really important out there. The preparation over the last few days definitely helped, and last week’s final round was very breezy as well, so that experience carried over.
“I would not say it is getting easier, because it is not, but you do start putting yourself in better positions because you understand the course and the misses a bit more.
“Overall, it just felt like one of those days where I played really solid golf, gave myself plenty of chances, and managed to take a few of them.”
Salama enjoyed a tale of two halves having teed off on the 10th, with six birdies on his back nine, the course’s front nine, transforming his round.
“Six under is obviously very pleasing, but it really felt like two completely different nines out there,” said the Spaniard.
“The front nine was quite tough and I started a little cold with the putter. On the back nine everything clicked, the putter got hot and I was able to make six birdies, which made a huge difference.
“Finishing the round by holing that putt on my final hole was a great feeling and gives me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow.”
Italy’s Ludovico Addabbo, second in the MENA Golf Tour Rankings and alone in fifth at five under, went blemish-free on the card, which included an eagle on the fourth hole and three birdies on the back nine.
Rankings leader Chris Wood, who won last week’s Marassi 1 event in a dramatic playoff, is among a large group at one-over par following an opening 73 as he looks for a repeat win at the venue.
The Egypt Golf Series has $100,000 in prize money and Official World Golf Ranking points on offer. Following this week’s event, the Tour concludes its Egypt Swing at Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo from Feb. 3 to 5.
