AGONA Profile: Bayern Munich, the German giants gunning for Olympiacos
The AGONA Profile takes a closer look at Bayern Munich, who will take on Olympiacos in Group B of the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League.
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BACKGROUND
Bayern Munich need no introduction. Rightly considered European giants, the Germans have enjoyed overwhelming success on the domestic and continental stage throughout their 118 year existence, becoming one of the world’s biggest sporting organisations in the process. A hugely popular club, Bayern boast a large army of supporters across the entire world, standing out with their glittering trophy cabinet and excellent performances on the pitch.
You can liken Bayern to a well-oiled machine. In Germany, Bayern have impressively won the past seven Bundesliga championships in a row, breezing past their opponents with relative ease. Overall, the Bavarian team have won 29 league titles, something which is a national record. Alongside the Bundesliga, Bayern have tasted glory in the German Cup on 19 occasions while also claiming seven German Super Cups and six League Cups.
Internationally, Bayern have lifted the European Cup five teams, winning the UEFA Champions League in 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001 and most recently in 2013. In the 2012/2013 showpiece match at Wembley, it looked as though Bayern’s duel against fellow Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund was going to extra time, but Arjen Robben netted the crucial goal in stoppage time to seal a dramatic 2:1 triumph.
Since that victory in 2013, they’ve reached four Champions League semi-finals, however they suffered heartbreak at the hands of Real Madrid (2014, 2018), Barcelona (2015) and Atletico Madrid (2016).
In the 2018/2019 campaign, Bayern Munich were given a run for their money by Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, eventually clinching the title by a difference of just two points. On the continental front, the Germans defeated AEK twice in the group stages of the Champions League before they were knocked out by eventual champions Liverpool in the Last 16.
Full name: Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V.
Founded: February 27, 1900
President: Uli Hoeness
Manager: Niko Kovac
Stadium: Allianz Arena (Capacity 75,000)
Major titles won: 29 Bundesliga championships, 19 German Cups, 7 German Super Cups, 6 German League Cups, 5 UEFA Champions Leagues, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup
HEAD COACH
Born in Berlin, 48-year-old Niko Kovac decided to represent Croatia through his family heritage in his playing days, making 83 appearances and scoring 14 goals for the national team. At club level, Kovac starred for Hertha Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburg, Bayern Munich and Red Bull Salzburg in a career which lasted 29 years. He hung up his boots after the 2008/2009 Austrian Bundesliga season.
When he turned his hand to coaching in 2009, Kovac was handed a job in the Red Bull Salzburg academy set-up, before he was the head coach of Croatia U21, the senior Croatian national side and Eintracht Frankfurt. In the summer of 2018, he was appointed the new boss of Bayern Munich, immediately winning the German Super Cup, Bundesliga and national cup competition in his first season at the helm.
KEY PLAYERS
33-year-old Manuel Neuer has long been touted as the world’s best goalkeeper. A German 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, Neuer even created a new style of play with his ‘sweeper-keeper’ tactics, often sprinting out from his goal to hack the ball out of danger. He started out as a professional with hometown team Schalke 04 in 2004, subsequently steering them to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2011 in his final season at the club.
In Munich, Neuer has won every competition possible while contributing with headline saves and his unique way of playing the game.
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is ridiculously prolific. One of the most feared forwards on the planet, 31-year-old Lewandowski can score with the smallest of chances, hitting the target practically every time when an opportunity comes his way. In September 2015, the Pole scored an amazing five goals in nine minutes in a Bundesliga match against Wolfsburg, and he also once notched four in a Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid for Borussia Dortmund. Lewandowski almost single handedly fired Poland to the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the hitman has grabbed 60 markers in 110 games with the country.
Serge Gnabry has made an impressive start to the season. Not that long ago, Gnabry was deemed not good enough for West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League, but he has since proven that he possesses the necessary talent to perform successfully at the highest level. His showing against Tottenham on matchday won’t be forgotten any time soon. Ripping the Tottenham defence apart at will, the 24-year-old scored four goals in Bayern’s 7-2 victory, proving all of his previous doubters wrong. The winger will cause the Olympiacos defence real problems.
SEASON SO FAR
Bayern are in charge of Group B in the Champions League, tallying six points against Red Star Belgrade (3-0) and Tottenham Hotspur (7-2) to put themselves in a great position with four matches still yet to be played.
However, while Bayern have been unstoppable in Europe, it’s been a different story domestically. With eight games in the books, Bayern have 15 points on the board as they sit in third place, trailing leaders Borussia Monchengladbach by one points. Bayern recently conceded a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Konstantinos Stafylidis’ Hoffenheim.
HISTORY AGAINST GREEK CLUBS
In 11 matches against Greek opposition in competitive matches, Bayern are undefeated, tallying nine wins, two draws and a positive goal difference of +21 (24-3). In the 1967/1968 European Cup Winners’ Cup, they beat Panathinaikos 5-0 and 2-1, later brushing off the challenge of Olympiacos 7-2 on aggregate in the Last 16 of the 1980/1981 European Cup.
Bayern inflicted defeat on PAOK 9-8 on penalties in the UEFA Cup Last 16 after the tie finished 0-0. In the group stages of the 2007/2008 UEFA Cup, Bayern destroyed Aris Thessaloniki 6-0 at home, and the Bavarians defeated Olympiacos 4-0 and 3-0 in the 2015/2016 Champions League.
The German club defeated AEK 2-0 twice in the 2018/2019 Champions League group phase.
