In the first half of the 2007-8 season, Bayern lived up to their billing as far and away Germany’s most successful club with a string of new pace-setting achievements. fcbayern.de summarises the records set by the club both on and off the field in the six months of the campaign to date.
Lights-to-flag leadership:
Bayern remain the only Bundesliga side to lead the section from the first match until the 17th game at the midpoint of the season, achieving the feat for the fifth time in their history. The men in red thus claimed the unofficial winter championship for the 16th time, a position from which they have gone on to win the league on 13 previous occasions. The Bavarians have topped the standings from matchday 1 until matchday 34 three times so far.
Rock-solid rearguard:
A miserly eight goals against in the league before Christmas is a new club record, beating the previous best of 11 in 1988-9, although the Bundesliga gold standard still belongs to VfB Stuttgart with just seven goals conceded in 2003-4. However, Munich’s achievement in conceding just two goals in eight Bundesliga home fixtures is a new record for the league, beating Werder Bremen’s three in 1987-8.
Winning streak:
Bayern’s solitary defeat in the first half of term arrived away to Stuttgart on 10 November 2007, ending a run of 24 competitive matches without defeat. That equalled the club’s previous best from the 1980s, when Bayern twice chalked up 24-game unbeaten runs. Four weeks later, Bayern’s scoreless draw with MSV Duisburg represented the Bavarians’ 23rd undefeated meeting with the Zebras in a row, the longest unbeaten streak for any one Bundesliga club against a domestic rival.
Stunning start:
Bayern’s total of 26 points after ten matches was the best-ever start by any Bundesliga club since the introduction of three points for a win in 1995-6. The previous record of 25 points from ten games was shared by Bayern (1998-9, 2001-2, 2005-6), Bayer Leverkusen (2003-4) and 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1997-8). However, applying the current regulation to the era of two points for a win, the all-time record remains 1980-81, when Paul Breitner and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge powered Bayern to what would now be worth 27 points at the same stage.
King Kahn:
In his last season as a professional, Oliver Kahn continues to add accolades to his already glittering career record. The 1-0 away win in Bielefeld saw the 38-year-old become the first Bundesliga player to notch up 300 wins, pulling further ahead of second-placed Manfred Kaltz (291 wins). The match in Bielefeld was also Kahn’s 250th Bundesliga victory in a Bayern shirt, edging him ahead of Sepp Maier (249) at the top of the club roll of honour. Back on matchday four in Hamburg, Kahn recorded his 535th appearance in the German top flight, beating Eike Immel (534) to set a new gold standard for a goalkeeper.
Tremendous Toni:
Luca Toni underlined his world-class credentials in his first six months at the club with 17 goals in 21 competitive appearances, making him the club’s leading scorer. The Italian struck four times in Bayern’s 6-0 demolition of Aris Salonika to equal Jürgen Klinsmann’s club record in the UEFA Cup. The ex-Germany boss hit all four in a 4-1 victory over Benfica back on 21 November 1995. Only one man has struck more goals in a single European fixture for Bayern: Gerd Müller claimed five in a 9-0 European Champions Cup thrashing of Omonia Nicosia on 24 October 1972.
Flocking to the turnstiles:
All eight of Bayern’s home Bundesliga fixtures so far have officially been sold out, repeating a feat first achieved in 2005-6. In the first half of term, Allianz Arena officials posted sold out notices before ten of Bayern’s 12 home fixtures. The crowd was just 2,000 short of capacity for the remaining two games, the UEFA Cup meetings with Belenenses and Aris.
Business is booming:
Those attending November’s Annual General Meeting heard the board present a string of new record totals for the 2006-7 fiscal year, with €225.8 million turnover, €18.9 million profit before tax, a membership total of 135,752, and 2,329 officially registered fan clubs.
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