Bayern, Dortmund lock horns
Print Edition
GERMAN fans have finally got their wish for a more exciting Bundesliga season and the title race will really hot up when leader Bayern Munich lock horns with Borussia Dortmund tonight.
Bayern’s shock 1-2 defeat by Mainz 05 at the Allianz Arena in midweek means a home victory for second-placed Dortmund at the weekend would lift it within two points of the Bavarians with nine matches to go. Such is the worldwide interest in the top of the table clash, it will be broadcast to 208 countries.
“Everyone wanted more suspense in the Bundesliga. Now you have it so all is well,” Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. “We are not perfect. Sometimes you have to lose to understand what you need to do in order to become an even better team.”
Bayern, which is chasing a record fourth consecutive Bundesliga crown, had a 11-point lead earlier in the season. The defeat to Mainz and a 2-2 draw at Juventus in its Champions League last-16 first leg, after leading 2-0, has raised alarm bells among the supporters.
“The results against Juventus and Mainz were not good but our performances were,” said Guardiola who is leaving at the end of the season to join Manchester City.
Meanwhile, an inquiry into allegations that Germany bought votes to win the rights for the 2006 World Cup, said it could not rule out the possibility that bribes were paid.
“We have no proof that votes were bought, but we cannot rule this out,” said Christian Duve from Freshfields, a law firm commissioned by the German Football Federation (DFB) to probe corruption allegations.
Duve added that “we have been able to see that there could have been a change in the voting behavior and this could have affected Asian FIFA officials.”
Germany has been roiled by allegations that the DFB used a slush fund to buy votes in order to host the tournament.
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