By Karolos Grohmann
BERLIN, April 2 (Reuters) – Bayern Munich will be unaffected
by their hectic schedule when they meet Olympique Marseille in a
Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday, according
to sports director Christian Nerlinger.
Buoyed by a 1-0 Bundesliga win over Nuremberg on Saturday
that marked their seventh consecutive victory in all
competitions, the Bavarians are looking to knock out Marseille
after opening a 2-0 lead in last week’s first match in France.
“We have our fate in our own hands in all three
competitions,” said Nerlinger of the chase for a
Bundesliga-German Cup-Champions League treble that could feature
eight games in less than four weeks.
“I have faith in the team. They have shown they can adapt to
this rhythm of a game every three days and they are in good
physical shape.”
Bayern are already through to the German Cup final and are
three points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
The Munich team, looking to reach the Champions League final
to be played in their own stadium in May, will be without
suspended midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on Tuesday after he
was booked in Marseille.
Six Bayern players – including Thomas Mueller, captain
Philipp Lahm, Toni Kroos and David Alaba – know a yellow card
will put them out of the first leg of a likely semi-final
against Real Madrid who are 3-0 up on APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus.
“Our starting position is very good,” said Lahm. “If we play
our game with the same focus then we will not be threatened at
all on Tuesday.”
BAD RUN
Didier Deschamps’s side travel to Germany with confidence
low as they occupy ninth position in Ligue 1.
Marseille have not played since the first leg at the Stade
Velodrome after their home game against Montpellier was put back
by the French League to help them prepare for the return match
with Bayern.
Deschamps’s team need all the help they can get, having lost
eight of their last nine games in all competitions.
“It will be very tough to meet our objectives. Even
impossible,” France defender Rod Fanni told the club’s website
(www.om.net).
“It’s hard to live with, psychologically and physically it’s
been tough.”
Fanni, however, believes Marseille are capable of causing an
upset. “You never know. As long as we have a small chance …”,
he said.
Keeper Steve Mandanda is back after suspension but centre
back Souleymane Diawara, who was banned in the first leg, is out
for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Holding midfielder Alou Diarra is also suspended.
Probable teams:
Bayern Munich: 1-Manuel Neuer; 21-Philipp Lahm, 17-Jerome
Boateng, 28-Holger Badstuber, 27-David Alaba; 30-Luiz Gustavo,
39-Toni Kroos, 10-Arjen Robben, 25-Thomas Mueller, 7-Franck
Ribery; 33-Mario Gomez.
Olympique Marseille: 1-Steve Mandanda; 2-Cesar Azpilicueta,
24-Rod Fanni, 3-Nicolas Nkoulou, 15-Jeremy Morel; 7-Benoit
Cheyrou, 17-Stephane Mbia, 18-Morgan Amalfitano, 28-Mathieu
Valbuena, 20-Andre Ayew; 11-Loic Remy.
(Additional reporting by Julien Pretot in Paris)
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
