DFB Cup holders Bayern safely navigated the tricky hurdle presented by the first round of this season’s competition with a measured 4-1 victory over brave but outclassed Preußen Münster on Sunday. On the day Holger Badstuber returned to competitive action for the first time in almost two years, Mario Götze, Thomas Müller, David Alaba and Claudio Pizarro got the goals for the Bavarians in an ultimately routine dismissal of the third tier outfit, although Rogier Krohne grabbed a consolation for the home side with a late penalty and Preußen finished with ten men after Marc Heitmeier’s last-minute red card.
The 16,797 full house at the Preußenstadion, including a raucous and passionate travelling contingent, saw Bayern take ten minutes to settle but ease into the driving seat after that. Götze and Müller put away two of the many first-half chances on offer, before Alaba crashed home a 20-yarder to wrap it up once and for all with less than an hour played. Sub Pizarro added the fourth with 17 minutes remaining as Munich closed out the win, although there was late drama when Krohne scored his spot-kick but Robert Lewandowski missed one for FCB after Heitmeier received his marching orders for a foul as last man.
The merited win will be a boost to Pep Guardiola’s men as they gear up for Friday’s official 2014/15 Bundesliga opener against VfL Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena.
Four new faces
Guardiola made four changes to the starting line-up from the Supercup defeat to Dortmund last Wednesday, bringing in Philipp Lahm, Götze, Dante and Holger Badstuber for Javi Martinez (torn cruciate), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Gianluca Gaudino and Sebastian Rode. Franck Ribery, Rafinha, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thiago were all ruled out injured, but Arjen Robben made his first squad appearance of the new season as a sub.
It meant the holders started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Jerome Boateng, Dante and Badstuber in the rearguard. Lahm and David Alaba took up station in defensive midfield, with Juan Bernat, Xherdan Shaqiri, Müller, Lewandowski and Götze in the front five.
Two goals up at the break
After referee Guido Winkmann whistled play underway on an overcast afternoon in Westphalia, FCB were soon embroiled in a typical cup fight against highly motivated opponents, with Neuer saving comfortably from Krohne and brilliantly from Marcel Reichwein in the first quarter of an hour. Lewandowski had headed the visitors’ first chance over the bar early on, and Guardiola’s men looked increasingly assured as the match progressed, with the opening goal falling on 19 minutes when Lahm and Lewandowski combined to leave Götze with a simple headed finish.
SCP keeper Daniel Masuch saved at Lewandowski’s feet and the Pole came up just short of finishing off a lovely move involving Müller as FCB bossed the play, before the Germany striker showed how it should be done on 29 minutes with a simple shot into the corner after a mix-up between the Preußen centre-backs. The Reds created plenty of chances now but Masuch saved from Götze, Dante headed wide from a set-play and Lewandowski was crowded out as the teams turned round with the visitors two goals to the good.
Lewa & Co seal emphatic victory
Lewandowski romped past the last defender in the first opening after the restart but Masuch raced from goal to nick the ball off the striker’s toe. FCB soon had the third goal in any case when Alaba lashed home a loose ball with a 20-yard rocket into the top corner of the home net after 52 minutes. Pizarro replaced Shaqiri five minutes later before Masuch saved brilliantly from Müller, the World Cup hero recognising the keeper’s excellence with a congratulatory handshake.
Pizza dragged his shot just wide of the far stick after a slick exchange with Götze, but the Peruvian was not to be denied for long and delicately flicked his side’s fourth in the 73rd minute after Müller won back possession in midfield and transitioned smoothly to attack. Gaudino and Rode replaced Lahm and Badstuber for the last ten minutes, with Götze and Bernat combining well only to find no takers in the box, but there were two more incidents of note a minute from time: Boateng was adjudged to have handled in the box and Krohne tucked away the penalty for the home side, before Heitmeier was sent off for fouling Lewandowski, only for the Pole to place his spot kick too close to Masuch.
Chris Hamley reporting from the Preußenstadion for fcbayern.de
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