Bayern Munich On Brink Of Record German Title, Are They The Best Side Ever?
Bayern Munich’s assault of their Bundesliga opposition continued over the weekend as they recorded a 2-0 victory over Mainz, which means they are just 3 points away from their 24th German title.
Munich’s recent period of dominance is truly staggering. Their triumph over Mainz was their 18th straight win in the league, and if they win at Hertha Berlin on Tuesday they will be crowned champions with seven games left to play.
This will also mean that they have secured the quickest title in the Bundesliga’s 51 year history – beating the record that they set at the end of last season, which they claimed with six games to go.
It wasn’t all so easy for Pep Guardiola’s men on Saturday though, as it took two late strikes in order for them to overcome their opponents. However, with just 8 minutes left, Bastian Schweinsteiger headed home their first effort, before Mario Gotze tapped in a second just four minutes later to confirm their victory.
Munich are now unbeaten in 51 league matches.
After the performance, Guardiola, stated, “We’ve played very good opponents and we’ve won. We’ve extended our record to 18 wins on the trot. That’s the result of a lot of hard work.
He then added, “I’m just pleased about winning today against one of the toughest teams we’ll face this season. We only need one more win now. It’s in our own hands. We can be champions in the capital on Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, goal-scorer Schweinsteiger noted, “You always have to work hard for victory here in Mainz. They’re very aggressive and they press high up the field. The first half wasn’t easy, but they were tired towards the end. We’re not really concerned about when we win the title.”
Jerome Boateng, also noted that he is excited at the prospect of winning the title at the stadium where he honed his craft as a player.”It’s wonderful that we could win the league in Berlin, which is where it all started for me. We’ve prepared the way for it today and taken a step closer,” he explained.
Munich’s staggering run of form has seen many people claim that they’re the best soccer side Europe has ever produced. However, their pulverising league form is only a sad indictment of the gulf in class between them and their closest opponents, which is set to get bigger when Borussia Dortmund’s talisman, Robert Lewandowski, joins them next season.
They would only be classed as one of the best sides in European history if they managed to defend their Champions League crown in May. Something that hasn’t been done in over twenty years, but is now well and truly in their sights.
[Image via Bing]
