On Tuesday morning FC Bayern set off for the Champions League group match away to FC Rostov without five players. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has to make do without keeper Manuel Neuer, Arjen Robben, Arturo Vidal, Javi Martínez and Kingsley Coman, who are either injured or have taken a knock. However, the German record champions still aim to win their fourth match on Matchday 5.
"If we win we have a theoretical chance of winning the group ahead of Atlético," commented chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge before the Bayern party's departure for Southern Russia. FC Bayern entertain the Spanish high-flyers in the last group match on 6 December. Atlético top Group D on 12 points from four matches ahead of FC Bayern on nine. Both have already sealed a spot in the last sixteen.
The group win probably means an advantage for the Round of 16 draw. However, Rummenigge stressed: "If you have a look at the situation in the other groups it isn't necessarily an advantage to be first or second." With two matches to go in the group stage the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain currently lie second in their groups.
The FCB pros who set off for Russia are focused only on Wednesday, aiming to win in Rostov and keep all options open in the fight for the group win. "We want to carry on and have the chance of winning the group on the last matchday, and that means we must win tomorrow," declared captain Philipp Lahm.
On arrival the men from Munich will set up camp at the team hotel. The international press conference featuring Ancelotti and striker Robert Lewandowski at the Olimp-2 stadium is scheduled for 19.30 local time. Subsequently the Bayern pros will report for final training and get a first impression of the stadium with its capacity of about 16,000.
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