THE STAGE IS SET FOR ANOTHER BAYER VS. BAYERN REMATCH

Being the main contenders for the Bundesliga Championship in four
of the past five seasons (only last year Bayer slipped after firing
Christoph Daum) a third into the 2001-2002 season the same scenario
seems to crystallize. Bayern hammered then league leaders Lautern
at home while Bayer had to come from behind against Stuttgart but
in the end managed the same result in impressive fashion.


21 OCTOBER 2001

DORTMUND			0-2			FREIBURG
							Coulibaly 44
							Kehl 90

Koller & Co. wasted half a dozen good chances in the first half, then
Coulibaly hit 'em on the counter attack a minute before the break.
More of the same in the second 45 minutes until Lehmann joined the
attack in the dying seconds, Dortmund lost possession and young star
Sebastian Kehl who is ironically sought after by both Dortmund and
Bayern killed them off on another counter attack. Freiburg 'keeper
Richie Golz had one of his "not-from-this-world" days again in this
one...

Attendance: 66,500


WOLFSBURG			0-1			HAMBURG
							Hoogma 57

Former Wolves fan favourite Präger volleyed against the crossbar and
missed another 5 or 6 huge chances in this game. Hoogma headed in the
eventual game-winner from Tøfting's corner. Petrov won a penalty but
Pieckenhagen had zero trouble with his weak spot kick thus holding on
to the much-needed 3 points.

Assist: Tøfting
Attendance: 19,080


20 OCTOBER 2001

BAYERN MÜNCHEN		4-1			KAISERSLAUTERN
Santa Cruz 16						H Koch 82 (Pen)
Salihamidzic 23, 29 (Pen)
Pizarro 90

Man of the match Brazzo (2 goals, 2 assists!) sold Strasser a rude dummy
on the wing, centred, and Santa Cruz with 4 touches trudged through the
FCK defense for the 1-0. After a quickly-taken throw-in Élber floated a
cross into the box and Brazzo once again beat Strasser to the ball to
score the 2-0 with a running tap-in at the near post. Grammozis hacked
Paulo Sergio just inside the area, Salihamidzic converted the spot kick.

Élber couldn't make it 11 goals from the last 6 games when his header
crashed back off the crossbar. Diving twat Miro Klose conned the ref
into awarding a penalty as he went down after Kuffour failed to tackle
him, Adonis with the consolation goal. Pizarro had the last word: The
Peruvian ace came on for Élber and scored with a beautiful running left
footed first time strike courtesy of Brazzo's perfectly-timed through
pass.

After this battle of #1 vs. #2 no more questions remain who the boss in
the Bundesliga is. Bayern are now undefeated in 14 games, unbelievable
how they tear through both Bundesliga and Champions League!

Assists: Salihamidzic (x2), Élber, Paulo Sergio, Klose
Attendance: 63,000 (sold out)


LEVERKUSEN			4-1			STUTTGART
Zé Roberto 24						Ganea 9
Zivkovic 59
Lúcio 63
Berbatov 85

Lúcio mis-headed Wenzel's cross, Seitz' centred and Ganea (!) tapped
in his 5th goal in 6 games to give Stuttgart the shock lead! Lúcimar
Ferreira Da Silva, called Lúcio, made up for his mistake by winning
a free kick in dangerous position after one of his inimitable,
irresistable solo runs, his countryman Zé Roberto curled it over
the wall and past Hildebrand for the equalizer, already Bayer's 5th
free kick goal of the season!

Zivkovic gave Leverkusen the lead from another Zé Roberto free kick
barely a quarter of an hour into the second half. The offensively
perhaps most dangerous defender in the world got himself on the
scoresheet as well, he rifled home from close range after Stuttgart
failed to clear following a corner. Berbatov sealed the deal with a
tap-in from Brdaric's centre, not the first time this has worked,
the two go well together.

Bayer played without crucial defensive backbones Nowotny and Ramelow
but still won in impressive fashion! The big battle of past seasons,
Bayer vs. Bayern is about to begin one more time!

Assists: Seitz, Lúcio, Zé Roberto, Ballack, Brdaric
Attendance: 22,500 (sold out)


SCHALKE			1-0			1860 MÜNCHEN
Jentzsch 13 (og)

1860 fired charismatic coach and "Löwen"-icon Werder Lorant in midweek
after 10 years with the club! He led Munich's Blues from the Bayernliga
(4th Division) almost into the Champions League during that time.
Without him the much too well-behaved Bundesliga will be a lot less
exciting. Come back soon, Werner! Assistant coach and former defender
Peter Pacult takes over.

No improvement was visible as lone striker Sand first powerfully
headed against the crossbar and then forced "Sechz'ger" 'keeper
Jentzsch to throw the ball into his own net following another
thumping header. Bierofka should have been awarded a spot kick
when being felled by Asamoah.

Assist: Sand
Attendance: 60,204 (sold out)


HERTHA				3-1			BREMEN
Dárdai 6							Aílton 7
Goor 32
Rehmer 61

Dárdai gave Hertha the early lead with a technically perfect 1st time
volley following Tretschok's excellent ball over the top of the (awfully
slow) Werder defense. Aílton equalized only 49 seconds later via rebound
tap-in after Frings struck the post on the counter attack. The normally
rock-solid Krstajic got himself sent off for two unnecessary yellows
within 4 minutes.

Marcelinho played in Goor with his heel and the Belgian international
breezed past Skripnik and Verlaat (two of the slowest players in pro
football) before squeezing his first goal for Hertha inside the post.
Bode wasted a great chance when crashing a half volley against the
crossbar.

Frings blew another major opportunity to equalize when he took ages
to shoot 1-on-1 with the 'keeper. Rehmer headed in Simunic's cross to
decide the game shortly after the hour. The victory gives some relief
to Hertha and coach Röber who hasn't won 2 games in a row during the
past 20 games though...

Assists: Tretschok, Frings, Marcelinho, Simunic
Red Card: Krstajic 22 (Bremen)
Attendance: 34,426


NÜRNBERG			1-2			MÖNCHENGLADBACH
Frey 75							Mieciel 10
							Nikl 62 (og)

Mieciel, once again starting for Gladbach's still injured top goalgetter
Van Lent, bounced Van Houdt's cross off his chest, it seemed to take him
too far away from the goal but while falling he spectacularly lifted the
ball past Kampa into the top-left corner. Beautiful goal! Gomis came
closest to scoring for the Club in the 1st half with a ferocious volley
against the post. Nikl buried his own side when his clearance attempt
landed in his own net. Frey headed in his first goal in 3 years for the
consolation.

Assists: Van Houdt (x2), Müller
Attendance: 33,300


ST. PAULI			4-0			COTTBUS
Patschinski 4, 55
Kaluzny 52 (og)
Meggle 77

4 minutes into the game Rahn split the Energie defense with a through
pass on the counter attack, ex-Babelsberger Nico Patschinski with the
easy 1-0. Termina was sent off for his 2nd bookable offence, a foul
that was everything but necessary (on Marcão near the corner flag).
Energie-reject Rath came on in the 2nd half, the bald attacker flew
down the right flank, Patschinski forwarded his centre to the far post
and Kaluzny was unfortunate to tap into his own goal.

Rath headed Meggle clear of the BSG defense, he sold Sebõk a rude dummy
before centering to the far post and Patschinski made it 3-0 once again
with the easiest of tap-in's. Meggle completed the rout with yet another
tap-in from yet another ex-Energie players centre: Konetzke. Thus Pauli
wins their first game of the season while Cottbus, after their excellent
start, have now lost 4 in a row.

Assists: Rahn, Patschinski, Meggle, Konetzke
Red Card: Termina 30 (Cottbus)
Attendance: 19,617 (sold out)


ROSTOCK			3-0			KÖLN
Yasser 60
Beierle 62
Wibrån 73

Scherz had the biggest chance before the break with a running outside
instep volley against the crossbar! Egyptian international Radwan Yasser
gave Hansa the lead at the hour with a powerful 25m shot only one week
after making his comeback from ACL injury! Rostock now played raging
football, Bade could barely parry Di Salvo's shot but Beierle was there
to knock in the rebound.

"The Swedish Connection"© put the game out of reach when the FC 'keeper
could only deflect Arvidsson's shot down the middle and workhorse Wibrån
chipped the rebound into the roof (with a little help from a deflection
off Dziwior). With this hugely important victory Hansa Rostock leaves
the relegation ranks while Köln, seen by some as UEFA Cup candidates
before the season, slides down to 16th.

Is Lienen next?

Assists: Di Salvo, Arvidsson
Attendance: 15,000


Ciao,

Tim

tim@milanmania.com
http://milanmania.com
http://soccer-europe.com