Bayern win 4-1 in benefit match

Five goals, a magnificent atmosphere and around 500,000 Euros which will help Offenbacher Kickers to stave off insolvency for good – the benefit match between FC Bayern and their once Bundesliga rivals was a complete success. 20,500 spectators enjoyed a 4-1 victory for the German record champions at Bieberer Berg on Wednesday evening.

“It’s part of our culture,” commented sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. All proceeds from the match will go to the regional league outfit, allowing another traditional club to be saved. “Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have established Bayern as a club that helps smaller clubs. That’s how it was in the past and will continue to be in the future. It’s a good thing.”

Although several players are away on international duty, Bayern received a warm welcome from the crowd – many of them FCB fans. Carlo Ancelotti was able to start with four senior players in captain Manuel Neuer, Franck Ribéry, Rafinha and Javi Martínez, while Sven Ulreich came on in the second half. The rest of the squad was made up of youth players.

As expected, the makeshift Bayern eleven controlled the game and it didn’t take long for the first goal to arrive, Ribéry setting up Kwasi Okyere Wriedt in the 12^th minute. It was 2-0 shortly after that when Benjamin Kirchhoff put the ball into his own net. Neuer was never really called into action, while at the other end Wriedt had a number of chances to put the result beyond doubt.

Offenbach changed their whole team apart from the goalkeeper at half-time, while Ulreich replaced Neuer in goal for the Reds. He was tested by Maik Vetter a couple of times early on in the second period, but it was Wriedt who scored the next goal two minutes after the hosts had a goal disallowed for offside.

The fourth-tier side did have something to celebrate in the 62^nd minute when Serkan Göcer pulled a goal back with a well-placed low shot. Bayern – who by now had used all their substitutes – continued to control proceedings but it wasn’t until the 90^th minute that Ribéry rounded off the win with a free-kick.