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BUNDES LIGA: Klinsmann looking for Karlsruhe victory to ease the pressure

Bayern Munich head coach Jurgen Klinsmann celebrates as his team scores during a Group F Champions League match against Olympique Lyon in Munich, Germany, on Sept. 30. PHOTO: AP

Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann has backed the defending Bundesliga champions to recover from their worst start to the season in 31 years — starting with Karlsruhe today.

Having led the league from start to finish last season, Bayern are currently enduring their worst start for three decades having lost 1-0 at Hanover and being hammered 5-2 in Munich by Werder Bremen at the end of last month.

And to make matters worse, minnows VfL Bochum poached a 3-3 draw a fortnight ago with two goals in the last 10 minutes that dropped Bayern to 11th in the table.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has given Klinsmann a guarantee he will still be in office at the end of the season and the ex-Germany boss insists Bayern are on the right track.

“We are going in the right direction, we just need consistency,” Klinsmann told German magazine Kicker. “We will pull through this. You have to take an episode like this on the chin.”

With nine points from seven games, Bayern need to pick up a few more wins before fans’ cries of “Klinsmann Out!” are silenced around the Allianz Arena and a win at Karlsruhe would help.

With all his stars back from their World Cup qualifiers, Klinsmann will have a virtually full-strength side to choose from, with only long-term injury victims Willy Sagnol, Christian Lell and Hamit Altintop missing.

The biggest game of the weekend pits league leaders Hamburg at home to fifth-placed Schalke 04 tomorrow.

Schalke are waiting on the fitness of Germany defender Christian Pander and will have striker Kevin Kuranyi leading the attack after he walked out on the Germany squad last weekend.

Under new boss Martin Jol, Hamburg are playing an attacking brand of soccer and start the weekend three points clear at the top of the table.

Second-placed Hoffenheim are at mid-table Hanover today, with the league’s top-scorer Vedad Ibisevic leading the attack, but they conceded five goals in their last game away when they went down 5-4 at Werder Bremen.

Also today, third-placed Stuttgart are in the German capital to play Hertha Berlin.

With one eye on Wednesday’s Champions League game against Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen host Borussia Dortmund and it remains to be seen whether coach Thomas Schaaf will rest his key players.

Having been beaten 1-0 by Hertha last time out, fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen are at second-from-bottom Eintracht Frankfurt, with keeper Rene Adler back from making his Germany debut. Energie Cottbus are at Cologne today.
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