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Ribéry delivers masterclass on starting comeback
Franck Ribéry's frustrations with his Bayern Munich manager of late, and in fact since Louis van Gaal arrived at the club, have been well documented.
Having been granted his first league start since October 3 against Europa Cup hopefuls Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena on Saturday teatime, he looked to be a whole lot happier and at his imperious best once again. After suffering with a long-term problem in his left knee since October 3, when Bayern could only manage a 0-0 home draw against Cologne, Ribéry has obviously felt he has been ready for full action again for weeks now. Bayern Coach van Gaal on the other hand, has been extremely cautious and conservative when it has come to handling his crown jewel. He has preferred to ease him into action after his lengthy layoff, bringing him from the bench in Bayern's last three league games against Bremen, Mainz and Wolfsburg, gradually giving him more time on the field to express his extraordinary ability with each game. He started in the mid-week cup match against Greuther Fürth but was then hauled off by his manager with 18 minutes to go, he had no qualms about explicitly displaying his displeasure with van Gaal once more.
Despite their seemingly regular spats and love-hate relationship, van Gaal decided that it was about time he afforded his star man a starting berth against a Dortmund side who have shown that they have enough dangerous weaponry to worry anybody. Ribéry was clearly relishing the opportunity to show his manager, and the world, what he could do back on the Bundesliga stage against one of Germany's most famous and globally followed teams. Despite the diminutive French winger often tying knots in Dortmund right-back Patrick Owomoyela in the early stages with his jinking runs, mesmerising step-overs and subtle skill, it was the men from Westfalen who started much the brighter. Former 1860 Munich midfielder Sven Bender twice forced Bayern to clear from their own goal-line within a matter of seconds. Firstly Demichelis rescued his team when he positioned himself on the line to clear Bender's shot after total chaos in the Bayern backline allowed him far too much space on the right-hand side of the penalty box. From the resulting corner, Bayern skipper van Bommel had to hack clear after Bender's header on goal went unchallenged. Dortmund's early exertions were not to go unrewarded either, as Daniel van Buyten, Bayern’s experienced central defender, decided to do an impression of Titus Bramble. He let the apparently much sought-after Egyptian, Mohamed Zidan, get on the end of his own headed flick after a long heave down-field, and fire into the net to give the ‘Schwarz-Gelben’ a somewhat surprising five minute lead. That was as good as it got for Dortmund, who had to rely only on counter-attacks and set-pieces if they were going to cause Bayern further distress. Bayern gradually found their rhythm and, with the attacking flair that Ribéry, Robben and Thomas Müller possess, it was inevitable that they would create a host of opportunities.
With the pairing of Ribéry and Robben, rather amusingly dubbed ‘Robbery’ in Germany, in the starting line-up, the Dortmund full-backs must have been scared witless before the game. So they should have been on the evidence of Bayern’s second and third goals. After Ribéry’s divine first-time flick to Müller on the left touchline, it was up to the 20-year-old German to drive forward and cause the initial panic in the Dortmund rearguard. After poking past a diving Subotic, his ball to the overlapping Ribéry was superb before the Frenchman slid the ball through Hummels’ legs for Robben to sweep home into a gaping net from a mere three yards. For the third goal it was Ribéry’s class that shone through once again as he spotted Mario Gomez’s run into space down the left channel, and duly delivered an inch-perfect pass into his path , as he cut inside him far too easily before stroking into the far corner past Dortmund’s second choice keeper Marc Ziegler. All this was after van Bommel had equalised in the 21st minute with a fizzing drive that got cruelly deflected past the Dortmund keeper.
After a wobbly start, it was another comfortable victory for a Bayern side that has now won nine league games on the spin, and has 12 wins in a row in all competitions. Despite this impressive record and the obvious delight that van Gaal must be feeling inside, he remained decidedly cautious and unflattering in his assessment of the Dortmund game: “I am glad that we have won, but this victory was hard-fought and not easy,” the Dutchman told the media immediately after the game. Although he will be over the moon with the return of Ribéry to bolster his attacking options, he will quite clearly still be concerned by his side’s defensive fragility. Even before the game on Saturday he remarked: “We have to find our organisation again. Robben and Ribéry have to work defensively also.” Van Gaal is most definitely one for keeping his players' feet on the ground and certainly not lavishing praise on them publicly, and this is obviously rubbing off on his players as well. With the Champions League last 16 tie against Fiorentina now firmly in the sights of van Gaal’s troops, German international defender Philipp Lahm was more keen to express his worries about Bayern’s defence than think about what they have achieved in the last 12 games: “In the last three games we have not been organised at the back. We should not be allowing the opposition to create so many chances. In the Champions League we will get punished.”
It is without doubt a good sign when managers and players always strive to better themselves and improve as a team. It is a sign of true winners. That is why with the magical Ribéry back, Robben having the time of his life and young fledgling Müller and Mario Gomez in the side, Bayern have a foursome of attacking talent that will fire them to glory and see them regain their Bundesliga crown come May 2010.
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