Both German giants Bayern Munich and Scottish mammoths Rangers had disappointing seasons by their high standards last term, but both are now on course to redeem themselves by winning four trophies this campaign.
However, both sides enter today’s UEFA Cup semi-final first leg matches under strength as Bayern host Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg and Rangers are at home to highflying Serie A outfit Fiorentina.
Bayern Munich have already captured the League Cup and last weekend’s German Cup in what is coach Ottmar Hitzfeld and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn’s farewell seasons with the Bavarian side, but the two bigger prizes remain to be delivered in the UEFA Cup and national title.
PHOTO :EPA
However, they travel to Russia not in the best of heart rather surprisingly as 35-goal scoring World Cup winner Luca Toni is suspended and doubts surrounding German international forward Miroslav Klose.
Klose failed to train on Tuesday as he was still recovering from a blow to his foot he picked up in the 2-1 German Cup final win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
“There is a doubt over Klose,” the club said.
Should that be the case Bayern, are likely to field the makeshift pairing of Klose’s fellow Polish-born German international Lukas Podolski and Jan Schlaudraff.
One good piece of news for Bayern is that hardman Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel is prepared to play even though he broke his nose in the Cup final.
Rangers — who lost to Fiorentina in the 1961 UEFA Cup final when it was a two-legged affair — meanwhile have just the League Cup to their name but booked their ticket into the Scottish Cup final last Sunday on penalties over St Johnstone and face tiny Queen of the South in the final.
Whilst bitter rivals Celtic lead in the title race, Rangers have several games in hand but a mixture of a fixture pile-up and an ever increasing long term injury list to key players could put a dampener on their aspirations to a quadruple sweep of trophies.
Rangers, though, go into the match stretched almost to the limit with inspirational keeper Allan McGregor all but certain to be out for the season alongside midfielder Lee McCulloch as doubts persist over Charlie Adam, Steven Naismith and Chris Burke for the grueling run-in.
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