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October 30, 2012

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Home » Sports » Soccer

No reason to panic, insists Bayern

BAYERN Munich's first league defeat may have given the German Bundesliga leader a black eye but will not trigger an implosion similar to the one suffered last term, club bosses said yesterday.

A late deflected Sidney Sam header gave Bayer Leverkusen a surprise 2-1 win in Munich on Sunday.

The Bavarians, who lost out to Borussia Dortmund in domestic competitions last season before defeat in the Champions League final meant a second campaign without silverware, still has a four-point lead over Schalke 04 after nine games.

It had an eight-point lead earlier in the season last year but collapsed to see Dortmund race back and win its second consecutive league title. The champion is currently fourth, nine points behind.

"We now have to show that in November 2012 we can do things better than in November 2011," Bayern Chief Executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters.

"I know we have a tough game at Hamburg SV on the weekend and we have to show that we can deal with the pressure better this year than last year."

Bayern had set a Bundesliga record eight days ago for the best start in the competition's 50-year history with eight straight wins before losing at home to Leverkusen for the first time in 23 years. In the Champions League, Bayern is less dominant than last year, on six points after three games alongside BATE Borisov and Valencia.

Coach Jupp Heynckes, though, is certain the team has learnt its lessons and will not repeat mistakes of the past.

"We still have a comfortable advantage in the Bundesliga," Heynckes told reporters. "This defeat will not derail us."





 

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