The first competitive game of the new year is drawing ever closer, and FC Bayern fans are now asking themselves: How will the record champions start out of the blocks against SC Freiburg on Friday (20:30CET)? We’re not fortune tellers, but fcbayern.com can bring provide you with a look back at some of the strangest, highest-scoring and frostiest opening fixtures of a year in our football history.
8th January 1966: FC Bayern 3-0 1860 München
FC Bayern took part in a closely-fought race with local rivals 1860 during FCB’s debut Bundesliga campaign. Sitting a surprising second in the table, the Reds went into the short winter break just behind die Löwen. It meant the season recommenced with a top-of-the-table clash at the Grünwalder Stadion on 8th January 1966 – and FC Bayern emerged victorious! The Bundesliga newcomers beat the side that went on to become champions 3-0 thanks to goals from Dieter Brenninger, Rainer Ohlhauser and Rudolf Nafziger. Strangely, Gerd Müller featured in midfield in that game…
20th January 1973: FC Bayern 5-3 Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
The groundsmen successfully cleared the snow from the pitch for this clash in January 1973 when FCB began the second half of the season against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. Instead of fresh snow, it in fact rained goals – eight in total as Bayern beat RWO 5-3! Gerd Müller and Uli Hoeneß both found the back of the net on the way to becoming champions by eleven clear points and with 93 goals scored.
21st January 1984: Bayer Leverkusen 1-5 FC Bayern
Bayern were quickly up to speed in January 1984 as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge bagged both the opening and final goal against die Werkself. His brother Michael also grabbed one for himself. VfB Stuttgart went on to lift the title at the end of that season and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge left for Inter Milan, but boss Uli Hoeneß rebuilt the team, which went on to finish top the following season under Udo Lattek.
21st February 1987: Borussia Dortmund 2-2 FC Bayern
Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern delivered a real snowball fight in 1987 as the Bavarians took a commanding 2-0 lead thanks to Roland Wohlfahrt’s brace. However, Norbert Dickel and Michael Zorc managed to salvage a draw for Borussia in the closing quarter of an hour. Nevertheless, Bayern went on to become champions – for the third season in a row! Dortmund finished in fourth.
13th. February 1994: FC Bayern 1-3 VfB Stuttgart
The winter break had lasted over two months and FCB wanted to restart the season under a new coach by hunting down winter champions Frankfurt. However, things got off to a false start under Franz Beckenbauer as 34,000 fans witnessed a 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart in a frozen Olympiastadion. The record champions fell to fifth place, but were still able to celebrate at the end of the season with their first title since 1990 after a 2-0 win over FC Schalke 04 on the final day of the season.
31st January 1998: FC Bayern 3-0 Hamburger SV
Brazilian players don’t always enjoy the German winter, but Giovane Elber did not let the snow stop him. The striker scored the (at the time) quickest goal in Bundesliga history after just 11 second against Hamburg! The second goal also came from Elber before strike partner Carsten Jancker put the icing on the cake. However, this season ended with perhaps the biggest surprise in Bundesliga history with Kaiserslautern going on to become the first (and so far only) promoted side to become champions.
24th January 2006: FC Bayern 3-2 1. FSV Mainz 05 (a.e.t)
In the year of the World Cup in Germany, Bayern had to put in an extra shift at the start of the year. Claudio Pizarro saved the Reds in the last 16 of the DFB Cup with a late goal to send the tie into extra time, where fellow Peruvian Paolo Guerrero scored for Bayern and Petr Ruman for Mainz. However, Pizarro had the last word as he crashed a 30-yard effort onto the inside of the post. The ball trundled over the line and the still new Allianz Arena erupted.
19th January 2013: FC Bayern 2-0 Greuther Fürth
Bayern began 2013 in frosty temperatures of -5 degrees Celsius. Mario Mandzukic’s brace was enough for the Bavarians to open the new year with a win against the bottom side. What no one knew at the time, however, was that Bayern would go on to win their first-ever treble that season. Jupp Heynckes said ‘Servus’ with the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Champions League trophies before Pep Guardiola took over the title-winning reins.