Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben should be fit to start in Florence despite neither starting the weekend draw with Cologne.
But Argentine defender Martin Demichelis is out after suffering three fractures in his face in Argentina’s 1-0 friendly win over Germany.
Fiorentina must do without striker Adrian Mutu and defender Massimo Gobbi as both players are suspended.
La Viola have slumped to 11th in Serie A with just one win in their last nine.
Cesare Prandelli’s side have gone 17 games without keeping a clean sheet amid speculation the players have been distracted by reports their manager will replace Marcello Lippi as Italy coach after the World Cup.
Bayern Munich go into the game in good form, they are top of the Bundesliga and are unbeaten in 18 matches. Read more…
Bayern Munich clinched a controversial 2-1 win over 10-man Fiorentina at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night to give them a slender advantage going into the second leg of their Champions League tie in Italy in a fortnight’s time.
Arjen Robben put the Bundesliga side ahead with a penalty on the stroke of half time, but Per Kroldrup gave Fiorentina a deserved equaliser five minutes into the second half.
Referee Tom Henning Ovrebro, who led the controversial semi-final between Barcelona and Chelsea last season, then harshly sent Massimo Gobbi off for an innocuous tackle before allowing Miroslav’s Klose to remain on the field for a much more dangerous challenge.
To rub salt into the Fiorentina wounds, it was Klose who nodded in the winner while clearly offside.
Given their recent Serie A form and the fact Bayern have won their last 12 games, Fiorentina came into the game as clear underdogs. Read more…
FRANCK RIBERY admits he would love Manchester United and Chelsea to make bids for him.
The French winger, 26, is set to decide on his future at Bayern Munich in the next few months.
Real Madrid are the favourites to land Ribery, with reports claiming he already has a deal in place to move to the Bernabeu in the summer.
But United and the Blues have made offers for him in the past and Ribery wants them to try to sign him again.
Ribery said: “I haven’t signed anything with anybody yet.
“Last season, I had many possibilities with Manchester United, Real, Barcelona or Chelsea.
“I hope I’ll have the same ones plus Bayern next summer. Things can go one way or another.
“I think I’ll know before the end of March. I want my mind to be free to play the World Cup.
“I want to play with the most competitive team as possible, the one that will give me a chance to win as many trophies as possible, whether it is Bayern or another.
“I’ll be 27 in April and my career is at a turning point.”
Will Louis van Gaal lead Bayern Munich to the title?
Yes, who else could? Van Gaal definitely has the team under control. Order and discipline are important to him.
Let’s be honest, Bayern have dug deep into their pockets to strengthen the side. After splashing out €30 million for Mario Gomez you don’t want to be playing in the Europa League. You MUST win the title.
Will Luca Toni and Franck Ribery cause trouble?
I’ve always said that Ribery is amongst the three or four best footballers in the world. After the saga with Real Madrid this summer I expect him to commit to Bayern with his efforts on the pitch. I am sure he will go for it.
Luca Toni will get unhappy if he is just sitting on the bench but he will not kick up a fuss. He will have to face up to the competition for places with Klose, Gomez and Olic.
How will Magath get on at Schalke?
Felix Magath will get a lot more out of Schalke. The club have not filled their potential in the last few years. It will be different with Felix at the helm.
Slacking and indiscipline will not be tolerated and with Manuel Neuer he has the best goalkeeper in the league. Under Magath Schalke should become serious rivals to Bayern in the long term - not just this season. Read more…
Jupp Heynckes and his rejuvenated Bayer Leverkusen side are in pole position, but Bayern Munich and their wing twins Robben and Ribery are right behind them and Schalke and Borussia Dortmund are also in hot pursuit.
The Bundesliga championship race is hotting up - but who will grab the glory? Germany football Kaiser Franz Beckenbauer gives his tip for the title.
And what about Hamburg with their newly-signed Dutch star Ruud van Nistelrooy?
Franz Beckenbauer (64) tackled the big questions ahead of match day 20 and revealed his predictions to BILD for all of the games of the five main candidates for the title.
The Kaiser speaks about one person when it comes to HSV: “Hamburg have got a world class goalscorer with Ruud van Nistelrooy, who can alone decide many games – if he is fit.”
But who will lift the trophy on May 8?
Beckenbauer: “In the end it will be my Bayern! Although Jupp Heynckes could only have to suffer defeat once in the whole season. Leverkusen have received a super footballer from us in Toni Kroos…” Read more…
Losing Franck Ribery would not weaken Bayern Munich, according to former Germany captain Matthias Sammer.
Former Borussia Dortmund coach Sammer claims the Frenchman, who has been hampered by injury this term, should not walk back into the Bayern team when the Bundesliga starts up again next month after the winter break.
The 1996 European Footballer of the Year feels Bayern coach Louis van Gaal has created a side which is strong enough without the winger, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as Spanish giants Real Madrid.
‘Of course the class of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben is undisputed, but to build them into the team is going to be a huge task for Van Gaal,’ Sammer, who led Dortmund to the Bundesliga title in 2002 and is now responsible for youth development with the German Football Association, told Munich’s Tz newspaper.
‘Bayern have found a settled team who can always play their best and they showed that in Turin (against Juventus), without Ribery.’
Reports in Germany today claimed Ribery and Bayern have already agreed terms with Real over a transfer in the summer should the 26-year-old choose not to commit himself to a new contract by the end of the season. Read more…
Carlo Ancelotti will make a transfer window U-turn by offering a British record £45million for Franck Ribery.
Chelsea boss Ancelotti has told fans he will not be signing anyone and vowed to run naked around the club’s training ground if he was lying.
But the Italian has previous when it comes to misleading statements and People Sport can reveal that Bayern Munich star Ribery is his No.1 target.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich has given Ancelotti the cash and wants him to spend big as the Premier League leaders look to strengthen during the lifting of their transfer ban.
And Ribery is now the first-choice target as Chelsea know he will go elsewhere if they do not land him in the New Year - with the FIFA suspension hanging over their heads and possibly kicking in from next summer.
Bayern also know Chelsea’s cash is bigger than any that their rivals are offering - and that Ribery shows no sign of signing a new contract with them and will go for less if he does not move in January . Read more…
Louis van Gaal WILL remain the coach of Bayern Munich – at least until the Bundesliga’s winter break.
But after that the Dutchman’s position in Bavaria could very well be a case of Louis van GONE.
Many fans are calling for the veteran coach’s head following Bayern’s 1-1 draw against league leaders Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
It was the latest in a series of poor results in the Bundesliga and Europe.
And the words emanating from the club’s chief executive Karl-Heinze Rummenigge (54) sound like those from April – shortly before he fired van Gaal’s predecessor Jurgen Klinsmann… Read more…
Bayern Munich tackle Juventus knowing only a victory in Turin will be good enough to see them maintain their interest in the UEFA Champions League.
Juventus are currently second in Group B behind group winners Bordeaux and need only a point in their final outing to secure a place in the last 16.
The Old Lady would love a repeat of the scoreline in their first meeting when the sides played out a goalless draw in the Allianz Arena in September.
Juve news
Italy centre-back Giorgio Chiellini is out of Tuesday’s winner-takes-all battle with Bayern due to a calf injury.
Chiellini took a knock in Saturday’s top-of-the-table 2-1 victory against Inter Milan and will likely be out for about three weeks.
Nicola Legrottaglie is likely to replace Chiellini alongside World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro in the centre of defence. Read more…
