Bayern Munich 6 – Werder Bremen 1

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02/23/13
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 23

6 – BAYERN MUNICH —— Robben 25′, Martinez 29′, own goal 49′, Gomez 51′, 89′, Ribery 86′
1 – WERDER BREMEN —— De Bruyne 58′

An early second half expulsion as well as six goals from a reshuffled Bavarian Startelf highlighted a 1,000th career Bundesliga appearance (as either a player or a trainer) by JUPP HEYNCKES as runaway leaders BAYERN MUNICH blasted visiting WERDER BREMEN 6-1 and maintained their sizeable lead at the top of the German table.

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Austria international centerback SEBASTIAN PROEDL (second from left) of Werder Bremen is shown the straight red card by match referee MARCO FRITZ of Korb shortly before the end of the first half during the lopsided Bundesliga contest at the always sold-out Allianz Arena in southern Germany.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Contento – Luiz Gustavo, Martinez (Tymoshchuk 52′) – Robben, Shaqiri, Ribery – Gomez (Pizarro 72′)

WERDER BREMEN : Mielitz – Gebre Selassi, Lukimya, Proedl, Schmitz – Junuzovic – De Bruyne, Ignjovski, Hunt (Pavlovic 46′), Arnautovic – Petersen

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FC Arsenal 1 – Bayern Munich 3

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February 19, 2013
UEFA Champions League
Round of 16, first leg

1 – FC ARSENAL (Eng) —————— Podolski 55′
3 – BAYERN MUNICH (Ger) ——— Kroos 7′, Mueller 21′, Mandzukic 77′

Two goals inside the first twenty-one minutes gave the visitors a firm grip on the game and a third strike with just under a quarter hour to play confirmed the current Bundesliga leaders’ superiority as record German champion BAYERN MUNICH stormed to a vital 3-1 away triumph over hosting English Premier League club FC ARSENAL in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of Sixteen.

Bayern Munich, who arrived in London having gone unbeaten in its last eighteen matches from all competitions, grabbed the lead in only the seventh minute when in-form winger THOMAS MUELLER cut a lovely cross back to the top of the box for Germany national team constituent TONI KROOS. A brilliant volley first-time from the 22-year-old central attacking midfielder swerved past FC Arsenal’s diving Poland international WOJCIECH SZCZESNY and stunned the capacity crowd of 59,974 at the Emirates Stadium. A third goal in the UEFA Champions League this term for Kroos, who has also netted six times for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga this season, as well.

Mueller, who has scored 11 goals and added 12 assists in 20 Bundesliga matches for the Bavarians on this 2011/12 campaign, snatched his fourth goal in the UEFA Champions League this term soon enough. Belgium international centerback DANIEL VAN BUYTEN came forward for a Bayern Munich corner kick in the 21st minute and forced a sharp save from Szczesny with a close range header. But Mueller was instantly able to poke the rebound home right out of mid-air and leave FC Arsenal with an early mountain to climb.

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Bayern Munich goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER punches the ball away from Germany national team constituent and FC Arsenal centerback PER MERTESACKER, the 28-year-old veteran with 86 caps for Deutschland who was purchased by the Gunners from Bundesliga side SV Werder Bremen for a reported 8.0 million English pounds last summer, during the UEFA Champions League, Round of 16 first leg clash at the Emirates Stadium in the North London.
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Despite the fact that Bayern Munich, according to the official website of the UEFA Champions League, had more attempts at goal (16-12) than FC Arsenal it was the Gunners who actually managed to get more shots on target (9-8) than their guests from Bavaria. Indeed, it was a former Bayern Munich player who breathed new life into FC Arsenal after Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER made a mess of an in-swinging corner kick ten minutes after the break. Germany World Cup winger LUKAS PODOLSKI, the Gunners’ highly experienced summer signing from relegated 1.FC Koeln who cost a reported 11.0 million English pounds, happily halved FC Arsenal’s deficit after the set piece was inexplicably allowed to bounce six yards out right in front.

Neuer regained his composure, however, and ultimately ended up with eight saves in the match with FC Arsenal in London for what was easily his best performance, at least in terms of number of shots blocked, for this entire 2012/13 UEFA Champions League campaign.

The introduction of Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN for France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY, who had been directly involved in the first goal for the visitors, just after the hour clearly rejuvenated the Bayern Munich attack. A great first touch from the Dangerous Dutchman and niftly little feed for overlapping fullback PHILIPP LAHM resulted in a third goal for the Bavarians with a little less than a quarter of an hour to play. Croatia international MARIO MANDZUKIC, the 26-year-old striker who entered the European contest with the Gunners in England as the joint top scorer in the German Bundesliga with 15 goals for Bayern Munich this term, somehow bundled Lahm’s low cross into the back of the and netted his very first goal of this UEFA Champions League campaign in the process.

The Bavarian troops of trainer JUPP HEYNCKES look to be in a heavily fortified position, particularly having scored three goals away, for the return leg with FC Arsenal at home in Munich …

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Bayern Munich midfielder TONI KROOS (39), the growing offensive threat who has now scored nine goals for the Bavarians in all compeitions this season, hops over the sliding challenge of Germany national team constituent and FC Arsenal centerback PER MERTESACKER (4) during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match at the Emirates Stadium in the nothern Islington borough of London, England.
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FC ARSENAL : Szczesny – Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Vermaelen – Wilshere, Arteta – Ramsey (Rosicky 71′), Cazorla, Podolski (Giroud 71′) – Walcott

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba – Martinez, Schweinsteiger – Mueller, Kroos (Luiz Gustavo 73′), Ribery (Robben 63′) – Mandzukic (Gomez 78′)

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Vfl Wolfsburg 0 – Bayern Munich 2

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Vfl Wolsburg’s Croatia international IVICA OLIC (11), the 33-year-old winger who scored 13 goals in 55 Bundesliga games over the course of three seasons with traditional giant Bayern Munich, observes his former professional colleague with the Bavarians, in-form Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER (right), battle for the ball during the top flight match match witnessed by 30,000 spectators at the sold-out Volkswagen Arena in Lower Saxony.
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02/15/13
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 22

0 – VFL WOLFSBURG
2 – BAYERN MUNICH ——— Mandzukic 36′, Robben 90+2′

A sensational overhead bicycle kick combined with another suffocating performance on the defensive side of the ball permitted visiting record German champions BAYERN MUNICH to whitewash host VLF WOLFSBURG 2-0 and continue barreling down the road towards yet another title in this historic 50th Bundesliga season.

Bayern Munich continued with the sort of stuff that saw the Bavarians contest nearly four hours worth of football before the stingy side of trainer JUPP HEYNCKES finally conceded a shot on target by Vfl Wolfsburg’s Brazil international midfielder DIEGO, who finally tested Germany first choice MANUEL NEUER with roughly a quarter of an hour to play at the Volkswagen Arena.

Returning for the first time to the old stomping grounds where he scored 20 goals in 54 Bundesliga games for Vfl Wolfsburg, in-form Croatia international MARIO MANDZUKIC marked the occasion by netting a spectacular overhead bicycle kick in the 36th minute. The 26-year-old striker, for whom Bayern Munich paid a transfer fee of 13.0 million Euros this past summer, struck after TONI KROOS floated a set piece to the back post that fellow Germany international midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER was able to nod backwards. With 15 goals in 19 Bundesliga games for the Bavarians this term, Mandzukic is tied with Bayer Leverkusen’s 2010 World Cup striker Stefan Kiessling for top spot in the German first division.

Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN closed out Bayern Munich’s fifth consecutive Bundesliga victory on the trot by scoring his first goal in the German top flight in almost ten whole months. After coming on as a substitute in the second half, the Dangerous Dutchman latched onto a lovely cross from influential Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER and lashed a vicious left-footer past Vfl Wolfsburg’s Switzerland international number one DIEGO BENAGLIO two minutes into injury time. Robben, who scored 12 goals in 24 Bundesliga games for the Bavarians last season, had not tallied in the German league since the 4-1 triumph over 1.FC Koeln early last May on the final day of the 2011/12 domestic campaign.

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Bayern Munich’s highly-experienced BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER (right), the 28-year-old midfielder who has earned 97 caps and scored 23 goals for Germany thus far in his career, fends off the challenge from Vfl Wolfsburg’s controversial Brazil international DIEGO, the 27-year-old former SV Werder Bremen and FC Juventus Turin midfielder with 33 caps who spent all of last season out on loan to Spanish La Liga club Atletico Madrid, during the Friday night Bundesliga match under the lights at the sold-out Volkswagen Arena in Lower Saxony.
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VFL WOLFSBURG : Benaglio – Hasebe, Naldo, Madlung, Schaefer – Traesch (Fagner 75′), Polak – Vieirinha (Helmes 75), Diego, Olic (Persic 65′) – Dost

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba – Luiz Gustavo, Schweinsteiger – Mueller, Kroos (Tymoshchuk 79′), Ribery (Robben 78′) – Mandzukic (Gomez 83′)

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Bayern Munich 4 – Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen 0

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Finland’s youthful international TEEMU PUKKI (20) of Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen, the 22-year-old striker who was signed from HJK Helsinki in the summer of 2011, is challenged by Bayern Munich’s standout Brazilian defender DANTE during the runaway Bundesliga match at the sold-out Allianz Arena in southern Germany.
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02/09/13
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 21

4 – BAYERN MUNICH ———————– Alaba pen 19′, 51′, Schweinsteiger 32′, Gomez 63′
0 – SCHALKE 04 GELSENKIRCHEN

Such is the overall depth of the squad this season, trainer JUPP HEYNCKES could afford to rest the club’s two leading goal-scorers this season and still have no real worries as record German champion BAYERN MUNICH dismantled visiting rival SCHALKE 04 GELSENKIRCHEN 4-0 in the Bundesliga.

Austria international DAVID ALABA, the 20-year-old versatile left back for Bayern Munich, cooly slotted home a 19th minute penalty kick before veteran Germany international midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER netted with a brilliant free kick that left Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen goalkeeper TIMO HILDEBRAND no real chance.

After struggling through an injury-filled campaign a last season, the rejuvenated Schweinsteiger has now scored five goals in 21 Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich while adding two more goals in the UEFA Champions League this season on behalf of the Bavarians.

Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN was heavily involved in the two second half goals for Bayern Munich. A lethal run down the left flank and cross into the box by the Dangerous Dutchman allowed Germany international MARIO GOMEZ to lay the ball off nicely for Alaba to smoothly score his second goal of the match. And an unselfish play by Robben to square the ball for Gomez enabled the 27-year-old striker to tally his third goal of this 2012/13 Bundesliga season and fifth for Bayern Munich in all competitions this term.

Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen were missing injured Holland international KLAAS JAN HUNTELAAR, the prolific 29-year-old striker who led the Bundesliga with 29 goals last season.

Bayern Munich extended its lead at the top of the table to a daunting fifteen points because the two nearest rivals in the German top flight standings, defending champion Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, both failed to win in the 21st round of this historic 50th Bundesliga campaign.

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Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen’s United States international midfielder JERMAINE JONES (13) looks to stop Flying Dutchman ARJEN ROBBEN of Bayern Munich, the 29-year-old winger who has three goals in Cup competitions this season but is still searching for a first strike in the German top flight this term, during the lopsided Bundesliga match at the always sold-out Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm (Rafinha 73′), Boateng, Dante, Alaba – Martinez, Schweinsteiger (Luiz Gustavo 73′) – Robben, Kroos, Ribery (Contento 73′) – Gomez

SCHALKE 04 GELSENKIRCHEN : Hildebrand – Hoewedes, Metzelder, Matip, Kolasinac – Jones, Neustaedter – Hoeger (Raffael 64′), Michel Bartos (Farfan 72′), Barnetta – Pukki (Edu 78′)

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FSV 05 Mainz 0 – Bayern Munich 3

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02/02/13
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 20

0 – FSV 05 MAINZ
3 – BAYERN MUNICH ———— Mueller 41′, Mandzukic 50′, 57′

A lightning flash out of nowhere just before the halftime whistle and two more well-worked goals within a quarter hour of the restart propelled record German champion BAYERN MUNICH to a 3-0 shutout victory over pesky host FSV 05 MAINZ ast the Bavarians continued their march to the historic 50th Bundesliga title unabated.

A brilliant ball into space by Bayern Munich midfielder TONI KROOS allowed international colleague THOMAS MUELLER to collect in space on the right and easily round FSV 05 Mainz netminder CHRISTIAN WETKLO to score his 11th goal in the Bundesliga this season at the 41st minute mark. A fabulous run down the left flank by Austria international DAVID ALABA, the skillful 20-year-old who exchanged double passes with both Kroos and France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY on his creative romp for Bayern Munich, enabled Croatia international striker MARIO MANDZUKIC to net the first of his two goals for the Bavarians in the 50th minute. And a wonderful cross from Bayern Munich’s captain and right back PHILIPP LAHM afforded Mandzukic his 14th Bundesliga tally this term via a far post header into a virtually wide-open net just three minutes before the hour.

FSV 05 Mainz fought very hard for the first forty minutes and probably had the better of the chances taken by the two teams over the course of the first half. The home side had a few dangerous shots snuffed out by the Bayern Munich defense while Germany first choice MANUEL NEUER once again showed himself to be in fine form. FSV 05 Mainz could have done with its leading marksman but Hungary international ADAM SZALAI, the 25-year-old striker who was signed from Spanish juggernaut Real Madrid’s nursery club Castilla in January of 2010, was suspended for the match with the visiting Bavarians.

Szalai is enjoying a career year having shot 11 goals in 19 Bundesliga matches for FSV 05 Mainz this term.

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Croatia international MARIO MANDZUKIC, the 26-year-old striker who leads both Bayern Munich as well as the entire German top flight with 14 goals scored this season, looks to control the ball despite the challenge from FSV 05 Mainz midfielder ANDREAS IVANSCHITZ, the 29-year-old veteran who has collected 59 caps and scored 10 goals for the national team of Austria in his career, during the Bundesliga match in front of a sell-out audience of 34,000 spectators at the Coface Arena in Rhineland-Palatinate.
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FSV 05 MAINZ : Wetklo – Pospech, Kirchhoff, Noveski, Zabavnik – Baumgartlinger, Soto (Zimling 62′) – N. Mueller, Ivanschitz, Malli (Risse 46′) – Parker (Caligiuri 84′)

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba – Martinez, Schweinsteiger – Mueller, Kroos (Luiz Gustavo 82′), Ribery (Robben 76′) – Mandzukic (Gomez 76′)

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Vfb Stuttgart 0 – Bayern Munich 2

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Bayern Munich midfielder TONI KROOS, the 23-year-old with 34 caps for Germany who has scored six goals for the Bavarians in the top flight this term, shields the ball from Vfb Stuttgart’s Japan World Cup striker SHINJI OKAZAKI (31), the 26-year-old attacker who has scored 29 goals in 58 appearances for his country’s senior national team, during the Bundesliga match at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
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1/27/13
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 19

0 – VFB STUTTGART
2 – BAYERN MUNICH ————— Mandzukic 50′, Mueller 72′

A gift goal scored five minutes after the break and an insurance tally from the visitors roughly twenty minutes from time made certain that Swabian frustration would continue as record German champion BAYERN MUNICH blanked hosting VFB STUTTGART 2-0 to maintain its double-digit lead in the Bundesliga standings.

The Bavarians have now beaten Vfb Stuttgart in eight consecutive matches, including two D.F.B. Pokal engagements. For the record, the proud Swabians, who have only been out of the German top flight for two seasons since 1963, were last able to defeat Bayern Munich in late March of 2010. With its latest victory in Baden-Wuerttemberg, the team trained by JUPP HEYNCKES maintained an 11-point advantage over nearest rival Bayer Leverkusen with but fifteen matches to play in this historic 50th Bundesliga campaign.

The hosts actually had the best chance in the first half at the sold-out Mercedes Benz Arena but the close-range header of Austria international MARTIN HARNIK, the 25-year-old winger who scored 17 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last term but has found the net just five times for Vfb Stuttgart in the top flight so far this season, struck the post and Bayern Munich’s Germany international goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER was able to secure the tantalizing rebound in the 34th minute.

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Despite all the positives to build on after the first half of play, Vfb Stuttgart were undone by a fateful error just five minutes after the restart. A horrible backpass by Italy international CRISTIAN MOLINARO, the 29-year-old left back who has made 80 appearances for the Swabians since signing from traditional Serie A giant FC Juventus of Turin just after the New Year in 2010, was happily intercepted by Bayern Munich’s Croatia international MARIO MANDZUKIC with Swabian netminder SVEN ULREICH left completely hung out to dry. The 26-year-old striker had little trouble negotiating the former Germany U-21 international and stroked the ball into the empty net for his club-leading 12th goal in the Bundesliga this season.

Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS looked to have won a clear penalty after being bundled over by Vfb Stuttgart defender GEORG NIEDERMEIER, the 26-year-old former Bayern Munich reserve team player, but match referee FLORIAN MEYER chose to ignore the obvious and ended up booking the Bavarian midfielder after Kroos had a bit too much to say about that.

Mandzukic sealed the deal for Bayern Munich with an outstanding centering pass into the box after a run down the right flank. Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER was able to nip in ahead of Vfb Stuttgart’s World Cup reserve defender SERDAR TASCI as well as Ulreich to register his 10th goal in the Bundesliga this term at the 72nd minute mark. There was never any way back for the Swabians, particularly after the reckless Harnik was dismissed for his second yellow card infraction with just ten mintues remaining.

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Vfb Stuttgart striker VEDAD IBISEVIC (left), the 28-year-old former TSG 1899 Hoffenheim front man who has scored 14 goals in 42 appearances for the senior national team of Bosnia / Herzegovina and currently leads the Swabians with 10 goals in the German top flight this term, plays the ball before Bayern Munich left back DAVID ALABA, the versatile 20-year-old who has already won 21 caps for Austria, can interfere during the Bundesliga match witnessed by a sell-out crowd of 60,441 fans at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
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VFB STUTTGART : Ulreich – Ruediger, Tasci, Niedermeier, Molinaro – Kvist, Gentner – Harnik, Traore (Torun 64′) – Ibisevic, Okazaki (Holzhauser 64′)

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba – Martinez, Schweinsteiger – Mueller, Kroos, Ribery (Shaqiri 88′) – Mandzukic (Gomez 89′)

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Bayern Munich 2 – SpVgg Greuther Fuerth 0

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1/19/13
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 18

2 – BAYERN MUNICH ———————— Mandzukic 26′, 61′
0 – SPVGG GREUTHER FUERTH

A goal on either side of the halftime whistle from the first-year striker who was purchased this past summer for a considerable fee was more than enough to enable record German champion BAYERN MUNICH to professionally coast by Bavarian rival SPVGG GREUTHER FUERTH 2-0 as the historic 50th Bundesliga season got back underway following the annual Winterpause break.

Despite the off-field distraction of having signed a big name trainer who will be taking charge next season, current trainer JUPP HEYNCKES had his troops focused on the business at hand. Indeed, Bayern Munich enjoyed 80% of the possession in the first twenty minutes of the match with bottom of the table SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and would, in fact, hold onto the football for more than three-quarters of the entire Derbyspiel at the sold-out Allianz Arena. Their forays upfield being rare, the visitors only ever did get a solitary shot on the goal guarded by Germany first choice MANUEL NEUER.

Bayern Munich went to the lead in the 26th minute but only after a little bit of assistance from SpVgg Greuther Fuerth’s most unfortunate goalkeeper WOLFGANG HESL, the 27-year-old who was making only his sixth career start in the Bundesliga. Croatia international MARIO MANDZUKIC, the 26-year-old striker who was bought by Bayern Munich from Vfl Wolfsburg for the transfer fee of 13.0 million Euros in June, beat his marker to the right wing cross from Germany international THOMAS MUELLER and was skillfully able to steer his shot on target. But the inexperienced Hesl, the career SV Hamburg backup who did a year in Austria with SV Ried and was purchased by SpVgg Greuther Fuerth from 2.Bundesliga side Dynamo Dresden only this past summer, allowed the ball to squirt right through his hands and bounce straight into the back of the net.

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Bayern Munich added an insurance goal just after the hour mark which effectively ended the realistic hopes of visiting SpVgg Greuther Fuerth. Germany international BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, the 28-year-old midfielder who has netted six goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich this season, was a tad unlucky to have Hesl turn his free kick over the crossbar. But the reprieve was only temporary as the Croatian Man of the Match was able to rise and meet the ensuing corner kick taken by Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS with power.

A low header beyond the diving Hesl but just inside the near post provided Mandzukic with a second goal of the game as well as a club-leading 11th strike in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich this season. Thereafter, it was only a mere question of the dominant hosts playing out the string. The Brazilian centerback DANTE and Spain international JAVIER MARTINEZ were both very strong in the defensive third for the home side, it should be mentioned.

By winning for the fourteen time on eighteen outings in the Bundesliga this term, Bayern Munich maintained its 11-point lead in the standings over nearest rival Bayer Leverkusen. Aside from the league-leading 46 goals scored the record German champions have, perhaps most impressively, conceded just seven times this entire domestic season. As for cellar-dwellers SpVgg Greuther Fuerth, it is interesting to note that their defensive record of 30 goals conceded after 18 Bundesliga matches is exactly the same as that of fourth place Eintracht Frankfurt this season but the pitiful total of just eleven goals scored, perhaps, tells the entire relevant story.

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Bayern Munich’s Croatia international striker MARIO MANDZUKIC has his shot blocked by SpVgg Greuther Fuerth’s Ghana U-20 international defender BABA RAHMAN, the 18-year-old who was bought from Asante Kotoko FC of Kumasi this past summer, in the 24th minute of the all-Bavarian Bundesliga Derbyspiel at the always sold-out Allianz Arena in southern Germany.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba – Martinez, Schweinsteiger – Mueller (Robben 70′), Kroos (Shaqiri 70′), Ribery – Mandzukic (Gomez 85′)

SPVGG GREUTHER FUERTH : Hesl – Zimmerman, Kleine, Sobiech, Rahman – Petsos, Petkovic, Fuerstner – Sararer (Klaus 87′), Stieber (Park 90′) – Noethe (Azemi 67′)

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Bayern Munich : 2012/13 Season Stats (All Games)

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Germany international THOMAS MUELLER, the 23-year-old winger who won the Golden Boot as the leading scorer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup final tournament in South Africa, tops record Bundesliga titlist Bayern Munich with 12 goals in all competitions this season and is also tied for the Bavarian club lead with 11 assists in all matches contested by trainer Jupp Heynckes’ troops this term, as well.
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BAYERN MUNICH – 2012/13
statistics – all competitions
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appearances/starts — Manuel NEUER 25/25, Toni KROOS 25/23, DANTE 24/24, Philipp LAHM 24/23, Thomas MUELLER 24/21, Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 24/21, Javier MARTINEZ 22/14, Jerome BOATENG 21/20, Mario MANDZUKIC 21/17, Franck RIBERY 20/19, Xavier SHAQIRI 20/8, Holger BADSTUBER 17/17, David ALABA 16/13, Claudio PIZARRO 16/6, LUIZ GUSTAVO 13/10, Anatoli TYMOSHCHUK 13/4, Arjen ROBBEN 9/8, Mario GOMEZ 8/3, RAFINHA 8/3, Daniel VAN BUYTEN 4/3, Emre CAN 2/2, Diego CONTENTO 2/2, Tom STARKE 1/1, Mitchell WEISER 1/0

goals — Mueller 12, Mandzukic 11, Kroos 8, Pizarro 6, Schweinsteiger 6, Ribery 5, Gomez 4, Shaqiri 4, Robben 3, Luiz Gustavo 3, Alaba 2, Martinez 1, Rafinha 1, Tymoshchuk 1

assists — Ribery 11, Mueller 11, Lahm 7, Shaqiri 7, Robben 4, Kroos 4, Pizarro 3, Mandzukic 3, Gomez 2, Badstuber 2, Martinez 2, Schweinsteiger 2, Alaba 1, Dante 1, Luiz Gustavo 1

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Germany’s first choice goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER, the 26-year-old netminder who is his second season with Bayern Munich since signing from Bundesliga rival Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen for a transfer fee of 18.0 million Euros in the summer of 2011, has turned in fourteen clean sheets while appearing with the Bavarian Startelf a club-leading 25 times this season.
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
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appearances/starts — Manuel NEUER 6/6, DANTE 6/6, Toni KROOS 6/5, Thomas MUELLER 6/5, Franck RIBERY 6/5, Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 6/5, Jerome BOATENG 5/5, Philipp LAHM 5/5, Javier MARTINEZ 5/5, Xherdan SHAQIRI 5/1, Holger BADSTUBER 4/4, Claudio PIZARRO 4/3, David ALABA 4/2, Mario MANDZUKIC 4/2, LUIZ GUSTAVO 3/1, Arjen ROBBEN 2/2, Mario GOMEZ 2/1, Anatoli TYMOSHCHUK 2/1, Diego CONTENTO 1/1, RAFINHA 1/1, Daniel VAN BUYTEN 1/1

goals — Mueller 3, Pizarro 3, Kroos 2, Schweinsteiger 2, Alaba 1, Gomez 1, Ribery 1, Robben 1, Shaqiri 1

assists — Lahm 3, Gomez 2, Ribery 2, Shaqiri 2, Badstuber 1, Robben 1, Schweinsteiger 1

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D.F.B. POKAL
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appearances/starts — Xherdan SHAQIRI 3/2, David ALABA 2/2, Jerome BOATENG 2/2, Emre CAN 2/2, Toni KROOS 2/2, Philipp LAHM 2/2, Manuel NEUER 2/2, Franck RIBERY 2/2, Arjen ROBBEN 2/2, Anatoli TYMOSHCHUK 2/2, Mario MANDZUKIC 2/1, Javier MARTINEZ 2/1, Thomas MUELLER 2/1, Claudio PIZARRO 2/1, Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 2/1, Holger BADSTUBER 1/1, Diego CONTENTO 1/1, DANTE 1/1, Mario GOMEZ 1/1, LUIZ GUSTAVO 1/1, RAFINHA 1/1, Tom STARKE 1/1, Daniel VAN BUYTEN 1/1, Mitchell WEISER 1/0

goals — Pizarro 3, Mandzukic 2, Robben 2, Shaqiri 2, Gomez 1

assists — Shaqiri 3, Pizarro 2, Ribery 2, Mueller 1, Robben 1

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Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN, the Dangerous Dutchman who turns 29 later this month and has racked up 58 goals after an even 100 appearances in all competitions for traditional German powerhouse Bayern Munich since being recruited from Spanish La Liga giant Real Madrid for a transfer fee of 25.0 million Euros in late August of 2010, is still looking to register his first goal in the Bundesliga for this 2012/13 campaign.

Ten-Man Bayern Munich Blank FC Augsburg (Again) In D.F.B. Pokal

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A second all-Bavarian derby within ten days time produced a much more balanced affair but exactly same result as visiting BAYERN MUNICH, the record German Cup winner who were reduced to ten men two minutes into the second half, held off pesky FC AUGSBURG 2-0 in the third round of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal.

FC Augsburg trainer MARKUS WEINZIERL not only altered his formation for the return match but, in fact, made five changes to the team which had lost at home to Bayern Munich in the 16th round of the Bundesliga less than two weeks earlier, as well. ANDREAS OTTL, the 27-year-old summer signing from SC Hertha Berlin who has made exactly 100 Bundesliga appearances and scored five goals for Bayern Munich in his career, was deployed as a defensive midfielder just in front of the back line. With both the first and second choice goalkeepers unavailable for the D.F.B. Pokal-Derby with their fellow Bavarian adversaries, the very well-traveled Austria international ALEXANDER MANNINGER was called upon to stand between the sticks for FC Augsburg.

Manninger, the 35-year-old who earned a Premier League winner’s medal with FC Arsenal of London at the conclusion of the 1997/98 campaign and has also collected 33 international caps for Oesterreich in his career, arrived at FC Augsburg this past summer after four years with crack Italian Serie A club FC Juventus of Turin.

It was Bayern Munich shot-stopper MANUEL NEUER, the 26-year-old first choice for Deutschland who has collected 36 international caps thus far in his career, who was called upon to make a sharp save (with the aid of the goal post) just eight minutes into the match, however, after a low drive from South Korea international JA-CHEOL KOO was deflected by Bayern Munich’s Brazilian centerback DANTE.

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France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY of Bayern Munich is the picture of frustration after receiving the straight red card from match referee THORSTEN KINHOEFER in the 47th minute of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal match with host FC Augsburg watched by the sold-out crowd of 30,660 spectators at the SGL Arena in Bavaria.
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Bayern Munich took the lead shortly before the half hour mark when France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY made a trademark run down the left flank and pulled the ball back for Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ in the 26th minute. Super Mario, who has missed most of this 2012/13 season so far on account of ankle surgery, was able to fend of FC Augsburg defender PHILIP and steer the ball past Manninger for his first strike in the D.F.B. Pokal this term. Overall, Gomez has netted four goals in eight games since returning to action for Bayern Munich in late November.

Bayern Munich should have doubled its lead with about a minute remaining until the halftime break when a 30-yard blast from Ukraine national team captain ANATOLI TYMOSHCHUK, the 33-year-old defensive midfielder who has made 120 appearances and scored six goals for Bayern Munich in all competitions since signing from Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg in the summer of 2009, smacked off the crossbar and bounced down over the goal line but the match officials, to be quite frank, outright blew the call.

Misfortune for the Bavarian side trained by JUPP HEYNCKES continued just after the re-start when Ribery was provoked by Choo and foolishly retaliated. A straight red card left Bayern Munich with just ten men and gave FC Augsburg a surge of confidence with which to press their attack. But Neuer, who had made a fine save in a one-on-one situation with striker SASCHA MOELDERS in the first half, again did well to halt the FC Augsburg’s leading Bundesliga goal-scorer in the second half while the Bayern Munich backline did its part, as well.

Switzerland international XHERDAN SHAQIRI, the versatile midfielder bought from reigning Swiss champion FC Basel this past summer, sealed the deal for counterattacking Bayern Munich just five minutes from full time. Germany international winger THOMAS MUELLER, who leads Bayern Munich with ten assists in the Bundesliga this season, prompted the insurance marker with a lovely square ball for the little Swiss tank. Shaqiri, meanwhile, prepared to celebrate Christmas having scored three goals on his last four appearances for his new German employers.

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Bayern Munich’s Germany first choice goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER (1) successfully confronts FC Augsburg’s journeyman striker SASCHA MOELDERS (11), the 27-year-old former MSV Duisburg, Rot-Weiss Essen and FSV Frankfurt attacker who leads the second-from-bottom club with four goals in the Bundesliga this season, during the all-Bavarian Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal match at the sold-out SGL Arena.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba – Tymoshchuk (Martinez 58′), Schweinsteiger – Shaqiri, Kroos (Mueller 73′), Ribery – Gomez (Mandzukic 58′)

FC AUGSBURG : Manninger – Philip, Callsen-Bracker (Bance 79′), Ostrzolek – Ottl (Musona 84′), Baier – Oehrl, Koo, Werner – Moelders

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Bayern Munich – 2012/13 Bundesliga Stats

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The annual Winterpause officially ends this coming Saturday and the historic 50th Bundesliga season formally gets under way again as record champion and current table-toppers BAYERN MUNICH host visiting SPVGG GREUTHER FUERTH for an exciting all-Bavarian Derbyspiel in the German first division.
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BAYERN MUNICH
2012/13 – Bundesliga statistics
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Appearances / Starting XI
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Manuel NEUER – 17/17, DANTE 17/17, Philipp LAHM 17/16, Toni KROOS 17/16, Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 16/15, Thomas MUELLER 16/15, Mario MANDZUKIC 15/14, Javier MARTINEZ 15/8, Jerome BOATENG 14/13, Holger BADSTUBER 12/12, Franck RIBERY 12/12, Xherdan SHAQIRI 12/5, David ALABA 10/9, Claudio PIZARRO 10/2, LUIZ GUSTAVO 9/8, Anatoli TYMOSHCHUK 9/1, RAFINHA 6/1, Arjen ROBBEN 5/4, Mario GOMEZ 5/1, DANIEL VAN BUYTEN 2/1

Goals
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Mandzukic 9, Mueller 9, Kroos 6, Ribery 4, Schweinsteiger 4, Luiz Gustavo 3, GOMEZ 2, Alaba 1, Dante 1, Martinez 1, Rafinha 1, Shaqiri 1, Tymoshchuk 1

Assists
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Mueller 10, Ribery 7, Kroos 4, Lahm 4, Mandzukic 3, Martinez 2, Robben 2, Shaqiri 2, Alaba 1, Badstuber 1, Dante 1, Luiz Gustavo 1, Pizarro 1, Schweinsteiger 1

(statistics are courtesy of http://www.fussballdatenbank.de)