The foundations for a place in the Champions League final have been laid, and Bayern are now keen to consolidate their lead in the Bundesliga. Victory away to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday (Live in English from 3.15 pm CET on FCB.tv Web Radio) would take Louis van Gaal’s men a potentially decisive step closer to a 22nd domestic league title.
“If we win in Gladbach, we’re 99 percent of the way to the championship shield,” Germany international Mario Gomez opined. There are still a total of three games left, but Danijel Pranjic is just as convinced as his team-mate: “If we win, we’re basically home and dry.” In the event of Schalke dropping points to bottom club Hertha Berlin, Bayern could be in a position to uncork the champagne on the penultimate day of the season, provided they beat VfL Bochum in their final home fixture.
Three days after the 1-0 win against Olympique Lyon, and another three days ahead of the decisive semi-final return in France, Bayern are determined to shut out all thoughts of Europe and focus on the league. “We analyse our opponents, we study PowerPoint presentations, and we hold individual and group talks – how can you not be foxused on the next game after that?” asked Van Gaal rhetorically, although the coach did add a proviso: “The body isn’t the problem, it’s the mental side.”
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