Bayern boss stays calm

BERLIN - Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes refused to point the finger of blame at his defense as the Bavarians had to come from behind to draw 1-1 at Hamburg and lost their place at the top of the German league.

Defending champion Borussia Dortmund finish the weekend back on top of the league, but only with a precarious two-point margin, with both Bayern and third-placed Schalke hard on its heels with 41 points each.

After Hamburg's Italian 20-year-old midfielder Jacopo Sala headed Hamburg into the lead on 23 minutes on Saturday, Bayern's blushes were spared when Croatia striker Ivica Olic equalized just minutes after coming off the bench.

Having seen his defense leave Sala unmarked for the opening goal, Bayern's Heynckes refused to point the finger of blame at his team which has taken just four points from a possible nine in its past three league games.

"I don't want to throw accusations at the troops," said Heynckes, whose team play FC Basel in the first leg of its round-of-16 Champions League clash on Feb 22.

"Despite everything, we played well in the first half.

"Because the demands of Bayern Munich are somewhat greater, we can't be happy, that is clear," Heynckes said.

"We needed to win here and we should have had the urgency to make that happen."

Dortmund deserved to go top after grinding out an impressive 2-0 win at Nuremberg as temperatures reached minus-11 Celsius on Friday night with captain Sebastian Kehl and striker Lucas Barrios providing the goals.

The win looks to have come at a cost as midfieler Sven Bender - who has only recently returned from breaking his jaw at Arsenal last November - damaged ankle ligaments, while Kehl has a foot injury.

"It wasn't easy conditions and that makes the victory so special at Nuremberg," said Jurgen Klopp, whose side faces Holstein Kiel on Tuesday in the German Cup.

"We showed patience, especially as Nuremberg only really threatened from dead-ball situations.

"My thoughts are with Sven Bender, he has had really bad luck," said the coach.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/06/2012 page24)