Bayern Munich is leading the Bundesliga and celebrated a 3-1 win over Arsenal in the Champions League this week. In its last two games, Bayern has scored eight goals.
Still, coach Felix Magath is far from happy.
PHOTO: AFP
"We don't have the necessary killer instinct," Magath said.
The Bayern coach was complaining about the late goal his players conceded against Arsenal, a goal that rekindled the London team's hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.
"The team was happy with the 3-0 lead and they didn't take advantage of the situation to put the issue beyond doubt," Magath said.
Still, the Bundelsiga powerhouse has been impressive in its last two outings, crushing old-time rival Borussia Dortmund 5-0 last week. Both wins came with midfielder Michael Ballack, who is back in training after nursing a thigh injury.
In games this season without Ballack in the lineup, Bayern has four wins and a draw.
"These are superficial statistics," Magath retorted.
On Saturday, Magath's team travels to Freiburg, which is next-to-last in the standings.
After 22 rounds, Bayern has 44 points and leads on goal difference over Schalke, which plays Sunday against slumping Hannover 96.
Third-place Werder Bremen, with 40 points, hosts Bochum on Saturday and has to recover from a 3-0 drubbing at home at the hands of Lyon in the Champions League. No. 4 Bayer Leverkusen hosts No. 5 Stuttgart on Sunday. Both teams have 38 points.
In other matches Saturday, Borussia Dortmund hosts Mainz, last-place Hansa Rostock plays Borussia Moenchengladbach, Kaiserslautern meets Wolfsburg and No. 6 Hertha Berlin clashes with No. 7 Hamburger SV in a showdown of two hot teams.
While Ballack is back in training, striker Claudio Pizarro, who scored two goals against Arsenal, missed a couple of sessions because of a slight groin injury but should be fit for Freiburg.
Sebastian Deisler also is back in training after missing the match against Arsenal with a thigh injury.
Deisler's future seems uncertain. Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer suggested that Deisler may be better off at another club if he continues to sit the bench at Bayern.
"It would be better for him to go somewhere where he could get enough playing time," Beckenbauer said.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge rushed to reassure the oft-injured midfielder in a telephone call.
"I told him that we have great interest for him to break through here," Rummenigge said. "I told him we have absolute confidence in him."
Deisler is often considered Germany's most gifted player, but he's had five knee operations and had to be treated for a depression more than a year ago.
Coupled with frequent minor injuries, Deisler has seen little playing time over the last year. He's been used sparingly by Magath this season, but the coach says he has confidence that the midfielder will sparkle again.
"I want to work with him and I see that he's ready to work, too. We need patience and I have patience," Magath said.
Germany's 36 professional clubs have combined debts of 698 million euros (US$921 million), the German Soccer League said Thursday.
The DFL, which runs the first and second division competitions, also said it is preparing itself for potential losses of up to 72 million euros (US$95 million).
The league said the financial squeeze had bottomed out and that the clubs have good long-term prospects, while payroll costs have been reduced to 45.2 percent of expenditures on the average in the 18 Bundesliga clubs.
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