Tough at the top

It took something special for Bayern Munich to beat Schalke in their own backyard to reach the German Cup final on Wednesday night.

Dutch international Arjen Robben looked to be going nowhere when he took off with the ball just inside the Schalke half before racing down the right-wing to the corner flag. One electric injection of pace and direction later, with three defenders flailing in his wake, Robben was suddenly in the penalty area lashing a left-footed shot beyond Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer to win the semi-final in style.

Although Bayern had the lion's share of possession and the early chances in this tense and sometimes bad tempered meeting, Robben's 112th minute winner was the only flash of real class in the whole game. And despite having eight minutes to save the tie after the Bayern winger scored, it was clear Schalke were out as soon as the Dutchman's shot hit the back of the net. Neither team had produced anything as decisive in nearly two hours of soccer.

Robben's act of individual brilliance was a worthy match winner, but the Dutchman's tenth goal of the season certainly put a thick layer of gloss on a rather dull Bayern performance. Schalke's overwhelming emphasis on defense, along with the terrible state of the turf in the Veltins Arena, gradually sapped Bayern's strength and creativity. But even the Bavarians' early attempts on goal were far from polished.

Energetic Robben the exception as Bayern labor

Robben was the exception throughout, tirelessly chasing and making runs at Schalke defenders. No-one else, not even the late substitute Franck Ribery, looked able to summon that kind of energy, which could be a matter of concern in the coming weeks.

"We're still involved in three competitions and that is emotionally not all that easy for the players," Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said after Wednesday's semifinal win. "But we want to be involved in all three competitions, so we will have to come to terms with that."

With league matches against main title rivals Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen on the horizon, and a make-or-break Champions League tie over two legs against Manchester United, Bayern's season will likely be decided by the end of April - for better or worse. The concern settling over Munich is that the squad may not be deep enough to survive three consecutive title races.

Loan deals force coach's hand over rising stars

Luke Faron, a Bayern Munich expert with TheOffside.com, believes that Bayern are beginning to feel the effects of loaning a number of players out to other clubs and promoting youngsters to a first team involved in not only a Bundesliga title fight and a lengthy German Cup campaign but also European matches of the highest standard.

"Loaning Brazilian defender Breno to Nuremberg was a necessary step in continuing his development and in getting the young center back some playing time," Faron told Deutsche Welle.

Loaning left back Edson Braafheid to Celtic was a bit surprising, said Faron. Combined with Breno's move, it meant Holger Badstuber would be the only true reserve center back, in addition to starting at left back.

"With center backs Van Buyten and Demichelis suffering injuries, Badstuber had to move back inside and the pressure on the youngster has been intense."

Faron believes that van Gaal has been forced to test the faith he had in the young players he brought into replenish the senior side in January, but says the coach has so far - on the whole - been justified in his decisions.

"Diego Contento and David Alaba have both performed admirably in their Champions League debuts," said Faron. "Alaba had a very bad final five minutes in Frankfurt last weekend and perhaps that showed the limits of the wisdom of playing a 17-year-old natural midfielder out of position in a highly competitive match."

He said Contento had had his hands full with Jefferson Farfan on Wednesday, but that he had coped with the task well enough. If any player was showing fatigue, said Faron, it was forward Thomas Mueller

"It's a big adjustment for a young player like Mueller who hasn't even played a full season in the Bundesliga before. Add in the Champions League and the German Cup and the fact he also just made his national team debut, and it's easy to understand why."

Success from continuity makes coach reluctant to change

Another factor which is contributing to Bayern's lethargy at this point in the season is van Gaal's commitment to continuity.

When he assumed control at the beginning of the season, it took the Dutch coach at least ten matches of tinkering before he settled on his preferred line-up - ten matches during which Bayern seemed rudderless and the coach's credentials were questioned. Once the coach found his formula in November, however, an impressive winning streak began and van Gaal has not looked back. As a result, the Dutchman risks wearing out his preferred starting 11.

As Bayern enter a run of decisive matches, time will tell if the squad's mix of youngsters and stars can maintain top performance. Luke Faron believes the Bavarian giants have what it takes, regardless of tired legs.

"Bayern have a chance against Manchester United, but they have to be considered underdogs," he said. "Munich's defense has not performed at the level necessary to progress further in the competition, though Wednesday night's performance in the cup might be the start of a turnaround."

The big test, says Faron, begins a week from Saturday, when Bayern face Schalke, Man United and Bayer Leverkusen all away from home, within a seven day period. But thereafter, prospects seem bright.

"After the match in Leverkusen they have an exceptionally easy schedule in the league for the last month of the campaign. In addition, they're getting key players like Gomez and Demichelis back from injury and that should help during the run-in. I believe Bayern will prevail in the Bundesliga regardless of how far they progress in the Champions League."

Author: Nick Amies
Editor: Matt Hermann