FC Bayern Munchen News

The 29-year-old has received plenty of praise for his midfield displays at club level, but his international coach still sees him as the best defender in the business

Philipp Lahm is the best full-back in world football at the moment, according to Germany head coach Joachim Low.

The Bayern Munich and Germany captain has earned huge praise for his performances in a central midfield role at die Roten in recent weeks, in the absence of Javi Martinez.

Low said he doesn’t want to be drawn on talk of Lahm’s midfield role, preferring instead to praise his full-back expertise.

“He is the best full-back in the world. I don’t want to open a new discussion,” Low told reporters.

“Maybe he is the only player in Germany who can play everywhere. You put him in one position and he does it well.”

Low also discussed the potential call-up of Bayer Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling, saying there is no reason why he won’t have a change of heart and recall him to the Germany squad.

“If necessary I do have Stefans number, and I don’t have a problem changing my opinion,” he added.

“I know I can come back to him, thats why I didn’t close the door”.

The 33-year-old believes the Germany international has the personality and intelligence to make a success of his new role

Barcelona star Xavi says Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm can become a “top midfield player” following his positional switch.

The 29-year-old made his name as a full-back but has flourished in a central role since filling in for the injured Javi Martinez at the Allianz Arena, and Xavi believes it has made him an even more formidable opponent.

“Lahm is a top player with a lot of personality, who can play anywhere on the pitch,” the Spain midfielder told Sport Bild.

“He seems to be getting even better. He has what it takes to be a top midfield player.”

Bayern coach Pep Guardiola added a glowing endorsement of Lahm’s transition and firmly believes the Germany international is the right man at the base of his midfield.

“The way Lahm has been playing in recent games, I think it is impossible that anybody could have played any better there,” he said.

“In the 1-1 draw with Leverkusen last weekend he completely dominated the midfield. He had 115 touches.”

Finally, Lahm himself admitted he is relishing his new role, having played the large majority of his career in defence.

“I love it in the middle, it is a lot of fun.”

The owner of a football school in Dortmund fears his former pupil could face an uphill battle to succeed with the German champions

Former Borussia Dortmund star Marcel Raducanu believes that Mario Gotze will struggle to make an impact at Bayern Munich and fears the 21-year-old could face similar problems to those experienced by Lukas Podolski in Bavaria.

Podolski joined the German giants from Koln in the summer of 2006 as one of the most highly-rated youngsters in European football, but failed to live up to the high expectations at the Allianz Arena and returned to his boyhood club three years later.

Raducanu, who runs a football school in Dortmund, is now concerned that his former pupil might suffer a similar fate.

“I fear that it will be very difficult for Mario at Bayern. It could be a bit like with Lukas Podolski, who also left Koln way too soon,” Raducanu told Bild.

“There’s no doubt about Mario’s qualities, but the competition for places at Bayern is incredible.

“It would have been better for him had he stayed at Dortmund. He would have been the undisputed star here and had a lot of freedom. At Bayern, there are 24 more great players.”

Gotze, who swapped Signal Iduna Park for the Allianz Arena this summer, has made just three Bundesliga appearances for Bayern so far due to injury.

The Dutchman has insisted that Pep Guardiola’s side are not merely an improved version of the reigning Liga champions

Arjen Robben has insisted that Bayern Munich are not trying to copy Barcelona’s style of play, but rather following their own football philosophy.

The Bundesliga champions have been in impressive form in recent weeks, with a number of high-profile names claiming Bayern are an improved version of Pep Guardiola’s old Blaugrana side.

However, Robben has dismissed suggestions that Bayern are merely imitating Barcelona’s Tiki-Taka style under the Catalan coach.

“Bayern are not Barcelona 2.0. The comparisons are logical, but the focus should be on ourselves,” Robben told reporters.

“We are Bayern Munich. We have different players to Barca. We don’t have Xavi or Lionel Messi, but we have other great players.

“The coach has a certain philosophy and tries to transmit that to the players. He did the same thing at Barcelona and is doing it at Bayern now.

“It’s not the Barca-style, though. We are playing our own game and obviously Pep influences our style.”

Bayern currently sit atop of the Bundesliga with 20 points form eight games, while they also head their Champions League group.

The Arsenal boss has suggested that Diego Simeone’s men can be the surprise package in the Champions League and thinks at least 10 teams could win it

Atletico Madrid can replicate Borussia Dortmund’s surprise run in the Champions League in 2013-14, according to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Jurgen Klopp’s men knocked out the likes of Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid en route to a 1-0 final defeat at Wembley to Bayern Munich, earning no shortage of plaudits with their underdogs tag.

Atletico have started their European campaign this season with two wins to match their 100 per cent record of eight out of eight in La Liga and Wenger believes Atleti coach Diego Simeone can take the Rojiblancos far in this year’s tournament.

“Atletico Madrid can be one of the surprises of the Champions League,” Wenger told Eurosport. “They can repeat what was does last year by Borussia Dortmund.

“They’re a very good team with a lot of quality in every area of the pitch.

“They have many good players – especially Diego Costa who is a top predator and can score from any position.”

Wenger’s Gunners face BVB in Group F this year alongside Napoli and Marseille – one of the toughest draws – and he thinks that the quality of the competition is increasing, with 10 or more teams vying for the coveted trophy.

“In the past, during the first years of the Champions League, as coaches we only expected three or four teams to potentially win,” the Frenchman, 63, added.

“Now at least 10 teams can dream about victory in the main competition. Now, in October, it is literally impossible to say who is going to be the successors to Bayern.

“It was an impressive victory for Bayern against Manchester City. That game in particular I watched and studied and for me, Bayern are already the favourites in this competition. All other teams have got one goal: and that is to beat them and deny them. They are a team that can go on and win again.