FC Bayern just can’t stop scoring – in the league, in the cup, in the Champions League, and now in the 2015 Paulaner Cup. In the fifth edition of the traditional friendly the German record champions proved goal-hungry in a clear-cut and entertaining 6-1 victory. Despite the result the Paulaner Cup was once again an unforgettable evening for all involved.
The 12,200 crowd at Regensburg's Continental Arena saw skipper Philipp Lahm score the opener 15 minutes into the contest. Patrick Weihrauch (28, 37) tripled the lead before Karl-Heinz Lappe (39) added his name to the scoresheet. After half-time Marcel Reimann (56, own goal) and Lucas Scholl (78) netted for FCB. Peter Maier scored the yearned-for consolation goal for the Paulaner Dream Team, netting a penalty awarded for handball (75).
Two days after the clear-cut 4-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, Pep Guardiola had to make do without a number of players who had already joined their national teams. The Reds still turned in a convincing display against the amateurs, winners of a competition organised by FCB’s long-standing brewery partner. World champions Philipp Lahm, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller as well as first-team stars Rafinha, Xabi Alonso, Joshua Kimmich and Holger Badstuber made the starting line-up.
Comeback for Kirchhoff
In a very welcome development, Jan Kirchhoff returned to the starting line-up after a lengthy injury lay-off. Weihrauch, Gianluca Gaudino and Fabian Benko from the second team completed the starting XI. After the early stages Tom Starke and Lappe replaced Neuer and Müller, who had to return to the Germany squad in Munich.
As expected FCB took control over their opponents, who had been chosen from more than 41,000 candidates. The German record champions had more than a dozen gilt-edged chances. After Rafinha (3), Weihrauch (9) and Lahm (12) missed, the skipper opened the scoring after 15 minutes. Alonso hit the crossbar (21) and Lahm missed once more (24) before Weihrauch extended the lead with his brace (28/37). Lappe (39) made it four before half-time.
After the break FCB continued to be the dominant side with Javi Martínez, Niklas Dorsch and Lucas Scholl replacing Kimmich, Gaudino and Rafinha. Reimann scored an own goal after deflecting a free kick by Alonso (56), Lucas Scholl missed after a free kick (62) shortly after he came on as a sub. But then the Paulaner Dream Team had a reason to celebrate as Maier slotted a penalty past Starke (75), making it 5-1.
Scholl scored the last goal of the evening (78) in the deserved 6-1 victory. “It was fun, that's the main thing in a game like this,” commented Philipp Lahm after the match. “Hopefully our opponents had fun too.” And fun they had. The amateurs of the Paulaner Dream Team may have lost against the Reds, but they left the pitch as the winners of the largest football casting in the world.
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