With the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Juventus only around the corner, the Bavarians are keen to wrap up the Bundesliga as quickly as possible
After being pipped to the league title by Borussia Dortmund last season and losing the Champions League final to Chelsea on penalties, Bayern Munich are on course to put that heartbreak behind them.
The maths is simple – providing BVB fail to beat Stuttgart, a victory over Hamburg on Saturday will end the reigning champions’ two-year grip on the Bundesliga and hand the Bavarians their first league crown since the domestic double of 2010.
Jupp Heynckes’ side are the most successful club in German history with 22 championships to their name and already hold the distinction of being the country’s earliest title victors, having won both the 1972-73 and 2002-03 editions during round 30.
But they are all-but-certain to better that in 2013. Even if Dortmund delay Bayern’s celebrations for another week, a 20-point lead means victory away to high-flying Eintracht Frankfurt next Saturday will see them crowned champions.
But with Bayern hosting Juventus in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final, before facing Wolfsburg in the DFB-Pokal two weeks later, the FCB hierarchy remain eager to wrap up their domestic title as soon as possible.
“Hamburg are an unpredictable side and on a good day, they play fantastic football. We must not make the mistake of taking the second step before we have taken the first,” coach Jupp Heynckes told reporters.
Meanwhile, club officials Matthias Sammer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge both stressed the importance of not dwelling too long on their expected title success.
“Obviously it would be an incredible moment but one we’d only be able to savour very briefly. Preparation for the Juventus match will start immediately with a meal together at the stadium,” the sporting director said.
“But Bayern want to wrap up the Bundesliga title as soon as possible.”
And the CEO added: “There will not even be a dinner. We will not do anything because we don’t want to spoil our big chance in the Champions League due to excessive celebration.”
Other notable early-season champions include Inter and Torino of Serie A – both of whom lifted the Scudetto with five matches to spare in 1948 and 2007 respectively – and Manchester United who triumphed by 18 points in 2000.
But as far as Germany is concerned, never has a single team won its national title with seven matches still to play, and Bayern’s 17-match unbeaten run looks set to end in glory.