FCB vow to recapture early-season form

The gap at the top of the league has vaporised and Daniel van Buyten is out for two months with injury, but Bayern are keeping their cool. Anatoliy Tymoshchuk even welcomed the four-way fight at the top of the Bundesliga: “It's good. The greater the pressure, the more you concentrate," the midfielder said on Tuesday. And Jerome Boateng believes FCB can cover for Van Buyten's absence: “We have enough quality in defence."

In Tuesday morning's practice match, Boateng partnered Holger Badstuber at centre-half. The summer signing, who has mainly featured at right-back so far, reckons he will start Saturday's meeting with Wolfsburg in central defence. “Yes, it's what I think," he said, although boss Jupp Heynckes has yet to state his opinion.