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Bayern aim for local revenge over Nuremburg
BERLIN, March 27 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich have the chance to prove just how far they've come in 14 months under Ottmar Hitzfeld when they travel to face Nuremberg in Saturday's Bavarian derby.
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With nine games left to play, Bayern have a seven-point lead
at the top of the Bundesliga and with their rivals dropping
points all over the place it looks a question of when, rather
than if, they will wrap up their 21st league title.
It is all a far cry from the start of February last year
when Bayern reappointed Hitzfeld, the man who led them to the
European Cup in 2001, to replace Felix Magath.
Hitzfeld's first match in charge was a 3-0 defeat away to
Nuremberg, a wretched result and a wretched performance that
revealed just how much trouble Germany's most successful club
were in.
Bayern went on to finish fourth, missing out on a Champions
League place, but this season they have rediscovered their old
swagger and are on course for a treble of league, German Cup and
UEFA Cup.
'We started to have the look of champions,' was the verdict
of club manager Uli Hoeness, speaking to reporters after a 2-1
win over Bayer Leverkusen last weekend restored their
seven-point lead.
'We're in a good position now, but we still have to be
careful.'
While Bayern have upped their game this season -- thanks in
large part to how well new players like Franck Ribery and Luca
Toni have done -- Nuremberg are in a sharp decline.
After winning the German Cup and finishing sixth in the
league last term, this season they are in desperate relegation
trouble and sit second from bottom.
They can expect no favours from Bayern this time, according
to Hoeness.
'We can't go to Nuremberg and hand out gifts to the
neighbours,' he said. 'We want the title so we need to take
points wherever we go.'
Behind Bayern, five teams are chasing the two other
Champions League places.
Hamburg SV are in second spot on 46 points, followed by
Bayer Leverkusen, Werder Bremen and Schalke 04, all on 44. VfB
Stuttgart, last season's champions, are also in with a chance
with 41 points.
On Saturday, Hamburg are at home to struggling Arminia
Bielefeld, Bayer host seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, Werder
are at home to bottom club Duisburg and Schalke travel to face
mid-table Karlsruhe. Stuttgart are away to Hanover 96 on Sunday.
Hamburg will be without the suspended pair of Vincent
Kompany and Joris Mathijsen, after their sendings-off in last
weekend's 1-1 draw with Wolfsburg.
Original story from ESPN_Soccernet.
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