Bayern remain focused solely on themselves

Slowly but surely, Bayern are making progress towards the upper reaches of the Bundesliga table. Saturday’s fully merited 4-1 success at home to Eintracht Frankfurt in the 14th round of matches was not enough to cut the arrears to the teams in first and second, but with three games to go until the midpoint of the season, the gap to third spot is down to the equivalent of just one win.

“We’re three points off third place, which is our minimum target,” observed coach Louis van Gaal after what he described as “possibly our best performance of the season. I’m very happy today, because I think we’re well and truly on course.”

Bayern now have 23 points, just one fewer than at the same stage last term, which ended in a domestic double triumph and a place in the Champions League final. “We’ve caught up a few places. The target now is to pick up a few more points before Christmas, and see if we can climb a little higher,” declared chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.