We are on right path, insists Bayern´s Altintop

August 22, 2009

Bayern Munich travel to Bundesliga minnows Mainz on Saturday with midfielder Hamit Altintop insisting the German giants are on the right path despite being without a win from their first two games.

Bayern have failed to beat Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim in their opening two matches, but Mainz will be battling to make sure Munich’s Dutch coach Louis van Gaal does not pick up his first Bundesliga victory since taking charge in July.

“Our results haven’t been good,” acknowledged Altintop. “But we shouldn?t read too much into it. I reckon we?re heading in a very, very good direction.”

Bayern dominated the first 30 minutes of last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bremen and van Gaal says he is seeing signs of improvement.

“That was the Bayern I want to see – dominant, controlling the opposition and the match. The problem was a lack of goals,” he said.

With chief playmaker Franck Ribery expected to pick up more game time, Bayern are looking to take the next step forward with a first league win of the new season and no other result will be acceptable, said Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger.

“We just need to watch ourselves a little now. We need all three points on Saturday. That is exactly what Bayern will get,” the midfielder said.

Defending champions Wolfsburg have been hard in training since Tuesday for Sunday’s sold-out game against Hamburg.

The Wolves have laid down the gauntlet to the rest of the teams in the league, taking all three points and scoring five goals in their first two games after a 2-0 win over Stuttgart and the 3-1 success away to Cologne.

“I think Hamburg are very similar to Stuttgart, as a team on a level with us,” said coach Armin Veh.

“I?m absolutely convinced that they will be one of the top sides at the end of the season. It?s sure to be a very tight game.”

Borussia Dortmund are home to Stuttgart on Saturday as they lick their wounds after being hammered 5-0 by Real Madrid on Wednesday in an exhibition game to mark their centenary.

Schalke 04 will be looking for three more points to maintain the 100 percent record they share with Wolfsburg when they travel to Hoffenheim on Friday.

And Bremen take on Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday fresh from their 6-3 win over FK Aktobe in the Europa League as new signing Claudio Pizarro scored on his first appearance since rejoining from Chelsea on Tuesday.

Friday

Hoffenheim v Schalke 04

Saturday

Borussia Dortmund v VfB Stuttgart, Cologne v Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen, Mainz 05 v Bayern Munich, Nuremberg v Hanover 96

Sunday

VfL Bochum v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Hamburg, Werder Bremen v Borussia Moenchengladbach

BERLIN (AFP)

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