Nineteen Bayern men featured in Tuesday’s warm-up win over gritty Fortuna, Jan Schlaudraff’s second-half brace ultimately settling a lively contest.
A 31,058 crowd, protected from the elements by the closed roof at the magnificently appointed LTU Arena in Düsseldorf, saw the Bundesliga leaders up the tempo after an evenly-matched opening and take a half-time lead through World Cup winner Luca Toni.
Four-goal flurry
A raft of changes from both sides at the break only served to up the entertainment value in the second period, Schlaudraff netting a double to keep Bavarian noses in front despite the third division team twice reducing the arrears through young Christian Erwig and veteran Olivier de Cock.
With one friendly to go until the competitive action resumes in the German Cup a week from now, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld will have gained useful insights into individual form and fitness from the whistle-stop trip to the Rhineland.
Start for Breno
Injury prevented Franck Ribery and Lukas Podolski from travelling, but Hitzfeld still sent out a strong starting line-up against the side lying sixth in the third division.
Willy Sagnol featured at right-back with Christian Lell switching to the left, and young Brazilian signing Breno was handed another run-out alongside experienced fellow-countryman Lucio.
Andi Ottl anchored the midfield alongside Mark van Bommel, with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Jose Sosa in the wide positions, the Argentine in a less familiar role on the left flank. Up front, Bayern began with first-choice strike pairing Toni and Miroslav Klose.
Another Luca opener
Fortuna midfielder Andreas Lambertz saw his cross-shot cannon back into play off the far post, before Klose beat keeper Michael Melka to a dipping ball but drifted his header wide of the upright in a bright opening phase.
Sosa’s effort sailed over and Breno directed a header straight at Melka as Bayern shifted up a gear midway through the half, although Kahn was forced to dive bravely at Ahmet Cebe’s feet to thwart the Fortuna midfielder.
Melka pulled off a great reaction save to keep out Ottl’s drive after Toni’s clever knock-down on the half-hour, but the visitors were only to be denied for a further three minutes, as Sosa’s incisive through ball released Klose for a clear run at goal. The striker unselfishly slipped the ball inside for Toni to stroke home into the unguarded net.
Jan extends lead
Lucio rattled the crossbar from 20 yards in the visitors’ last dangerous raid before half-time, when Hitzfeld made no fewer than seven changes, with Bernd Dreher taking over from Kahn in goal, and Martin Demichelis, Daniel Van Buyten, second half captain Philipp Lahm, Ze Roberto, Hamit Altintop and Jan Schlaudraff replacing Lucio, Breno, Sagnol, Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger and Klose.
However, two old hands from the first half provided the early focus after the restart as Melka held from Toni on three separate occasions, although the Italian had the last laugh with a fine reverse pass on 56 minutes, sending Schlaudraff clear to slot home Bayern’s second.
Toni Kroos replaced the tiring Sosa as Hitzfeld ensured all his players saw a taste of the action, but Fortuna briefly rallied and young sub Christian Erwig twice came close before finally pulling one back on 71 minutes from skipper Henri Heeren’s neat pass inside.
Excitement to the end
The Bavarians hared up the other end and Schlaudraff capitalised on Jens Langeneke’s poor clearance to restore the two-goal margin, but the fun continued when Belgian international De Cock, on loan in Düsseldorf from Club Bruges, toe-poked veteran Markus Anfang’s free-kick past Dreher to reduce the arrears a second time.
The sides each created a half-chance in the last ten minutes, but winter training meant a few heavy legs by the end and an eventful game finished with a narrow win for the visitors.
Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley
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