Created on 15-09-2009 at 00:00 AM
Most of the team took a nap while the passengers read the paper or chatted among themselves, but Louis van Gaal worked his way through the three-hour flight to Tel Aviv, studying videos of his team’s opponents in their opening Champions League fixture on Tuesday night (Live in English from 8.30 pm on FCB.tv Web Radio). “Maccabi Haifa are good,” Van Gaal warned, “it’ll be a lot harder than some people think.”
It will be a respectful Bayern line-up which takes on the Israeli champions. FCB observers have run the rule over Maccabi twice, and analysed hours of video material. “A good footballing team,” Van Gaal concluded. Maccabi have opened their domestic campaign with maximum points from three matches, and came through Champions League qualifying without defeat, including home and away victories over Red Bull Salzburg.