Bayern handed Ottmar Hitzfeld a sparkling 59th birthday present with a thrilling 7-2 victory over the Chinese Olympic team in the home leg of the inaugural Allianz Cup. Just five days into the mid-season training period, the Bundesliga leaders impressed with a number of flowing moves as they carved out an imposing lead for the return on 23 or 24 May in China.
In the absence of Marcell Jansen (rehab after ankle surgery), Zé Roberto (ankle), and Franck Ribéry, Daniel van Buyten and Lukas Podolski (all suffering the after-effects of flu), Bayern opened the second friendly of the mid-season period with one of the fastest goals in the history of the Allianz Arena as Miroslav Klose handed the Bundesliga leaders a 1-0 advantage after just 58 seconds. Luca Toni provided the assist with a clever lay-off from a long ball out of defence.
Zhu's rapid reply
The Chinese hit back straight away, Ting Zhu forcing home from close range on three minutes after excellent build-up play by Xiang-chuang Yan. However, that was to be the visitors' sole dangerous attacking effort in the first half, as the crowd saw one-way traffic in the direction of the goal tended by Zhen-li Liu. The keeper showed plenty of class to deal with Toni's powerful 12th minute shot.
Liu could do nothing to stop Mark van Bommel restoring Bayern's lead after 27 minutes following an exchange of passes with Toni, before Bastian Schweinsteiger accepted Klose's service to make it 3-1 after 42 minutes. On the stroke of half-time, Team China captain We-feng Li inadvertently diverted a Schweinsteiger cross into his own net to seal Bayern's commanding lead at the break.
Five changes at half-time
Birthday boy Hitzfeld introduced five new faces for the second half in the shape of Michael Rensing, Toni Kroos, Jan Schlaudraff, Christian Lell and new signing Breno, making his Allianz Arena debut. However, the raft of changes made no difference to Bayern's flow and easy command of proceedings.
Young Kroos made it 5-1 on 63 minutes, before Toni completed his brace from Schlaudraff's assist six minutes later. Zhu made it a personal double with the goal to pull one back from practically the very next move, but Schlaudraff had the last word with the final goal of the afternoon from Toni's lay-off four minutes from time.
Bayern 7 Team China 2
Bayern Munich Kahn (Rensing 46) - Sagnol (Lell 46), Lucio, Demichelis (Breno 46), Lahm - Schweinsteiger, Ottl (Kroos 46), Van Bommel, Sosa (Altintop 70) - Klose (Schlaudraff 46), Toni
Referee: Dr. Felix Brych (Munich)
Attendance: 53,000
Goals: 1-0 Klose (1), 1-1 Zhu (3), 2-1 Van Bommel (27), 3-1 Schweinsteiger (42), 4-1 Li (own goal 45), 5-1 Kroos (63), 6-1 Toni (69), 6-2 Zhu (70), 7-2 Schlaudraff (86)
Booked: - / Sun
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