Stars back in Munich

Bayern are back on Bavarian soil. The Lufthansa Airbus A340 landed safely and on time at Munich Airport at 2 pm CET. Flight LH 2571 left Madrid at 11.50 am CET the morning after FCB’s narrow 1-0 reverse against Real in the Champions League semi-final first leg encounter. The Bayern players went their separate ways after returning to the Bavarian capital and now have the rest of the day off. It’s back to work on Friday afternoon when Pep Guardiola starts preparing his team for Saturday’s Bundesliga fixture against Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena (3.30 pm CET).

Big match sets TV record

Bayern’s 1-0 defeat at Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final attracted a record television audience on ZDF. 11.66 million football fans watched the holders’ meeting with Real Madrid, a market share of 38.2 percent and the highest number in the current Champions League campaign. By comparison:10.42 million viewers watched the quarter-final against Manchester United. Another 820,000 fans watched the match on Sky. There is a very good chance next Tuesday’s return match in Munich will set another record.