Rummenigge keen to maintain momentum
Posted Tuesday, September 15, 2009 by PA
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has urged his side to maintain the momentum from their Bundesliga win at the weekend when they open their Champions League campaign at Maccabi Haifa.
Bayern were underwhelming in the first few weeks of the domestic season but there have been recent signs that Louis van Gaal's men are starting to click.
The arrival of Holland winger Arjen Robben from Real Madrid has coincided with the upturn in form with Bayern beating defending champions Wolfsburg 3-0 on his debut and following that up with an emphatic 5-1 win at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Attention now turns to Europe and a tricky first test in Israel.
Rummenigge is hoping the players can pick up where they left off at the Westfalenstadion at the weekend.
He told the club's official website, www.fcb.de: "It's important we come out of the starting blocks well, which would give us security and confidence."
Rummenigge warned, however, that with Juventus and French champions Bordeaux also in Bayern's group, qualification would not be guaranteed.
He added: "It won't be easy to finish in the top two of this group.
"Haifa, Juventus and Bordeaux are all leading their respective leagues. We have to start this campaign on a positive note."
Bayern will be without strikers Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni but playmaker Franck Ribery could be fit to start his first game of the season.
Ribery handed Bayern a further boost on Sunday when he declared he was close to signing a new contract after a summer of speculation linking him with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United.
It had been rumoured Ribery did not see eye to with Van Gaal but his celebrations with the Dutchman after his goal against Dortmund would suggest any friction has been soothed.
Maccabi maintained their perfect start to the Israeli Premier League season at the weekend with a 3-1 defeat of Hapoel Ramat Gan.
Seventeen-year-old midfielder Eyal Golasa grabbed one of the goals to go with his double in Champions League qualifying.
"We had to fight hard to beat Ramat Gan, but all that matters is that we won," Golasa told the Jerusalem Post.
"I don't fear Bayern, this is only soccer. We will be meeting European giants in the group stage, but we know that in soccer everything is possible."
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