Hertha Berlin’s long wait for an away win over Bayern Munich looks set to continue when they visit the Allianz Arena today, with the Bundesliga leader sin imperious form.
After scoring 28 goals in their last 11 games - and conceding none - Bayern could even afford to shrug when Hoffenheim ended their 10-game winning streak in all competitions with a 0-0 draw before the international break.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said “avoiding defeat also rates as a strength,” as the club toasted its early season success with beer at the Oktoberfest.
“This is a wonderful time which should be enjoyed,” Rummenigge said. “But it’s the start of October - the title will be awarded in May next year.”
Only one of the Hertha players likely to start today was born when the capital side last beat Bayern in Munich - 2-0 on 29 October, 1977 - but the 34-year-old Georgia defender Levan Kobiashvili will hardly remember, being 3½-months-old at the time.
Young players like 19-year-old striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga and 23-year-old offseason signing Aenis Ben-Hatira have helped promoted Berlin to wins over Stuttgart, Cologne and even at defending champions Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has not conceded a goal for 1,018 minutes, breaking the previous club record of Oliver Kahn by five minutes and counting, so Hertha’s forwards will need to make the most of any chances they get.
“We know Bayern’s weaknesses. We’ve analysed them and it’s quite clearly the defence. They have huge problems and we’ll try and use them,” joked Hertha coach Markus Babbel. “On top of that their offence isn’t that good either.”
Babbel, a former Bayern player, said he would check the statutes “to see if you get points in Munich, if it might be more than the usual three or one that you get.”
Apart from Dutch winger Arjen Robben – who is recovering from a minor groin operation - Bayern have no major injury worries ahead of a run of seven games in 23 days, which includes two tough Champions League ties against Napoli.
Franck Ribery has recovered from the injury that kept him out of France’s final Euro 2012 qualifiers, and Croatia striker Ivica Olic has declared himself fit again after almost a year in which he only played briefly due to knee and hip injuries.
Defending champions Borussia Dortmund got the weekend’s action under way at second place Werder Bremen yesterday and won 2-0, with goals from Ivan Perisic and Patrick Owomoyela, despite having Perisic sent off early in the second half. It was Bremen’s first home defeat this season.
Poland midfielders Jakub Blaszczykowski and Lukasz Piszczek were nursing knocks after their country’s 2-0 friendly win over Belarus,
Today, Mainz are looking for their first win in seven games when they host Augsburg, who are still after their first Bundesliga win since promotion.