Bayern Munich vs Basle preview - Basle to travel with confidence

Posted Tuesday, March 13, 2012 by PA

Basle travel to the Allianz Arena for their decisive Champions League clash with Bayern Munich unfazed by the Germans' 7-1 demolition of Hoffenheim on Saturday.

The Swiss side, who have already knocked Manchester United out of the competition this season, hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, meaning Bayern have to score at least once to keep the tie alive.

But Basle midfielder Granit Xhaka says that is not going to be so easy.

"It is definitely difficult to score against us," he said after Basle opened up a 12-point lead at the top of the Swiss Super League with a 2-0 win over Grasshoppers Zurich at the weekend.

"Bayern may have scored goals this weekend, but they are not up against Hoffenheim, they are up against FC Basle, and they are not going to get any goals then."

Basel's optimism pervades throughout the whole club as they stand on the brink of an historic achievement.

If beating United was not enough, the Swiss champions are hungry for more with their coach Heiko Vogel, who learnt his trade as youth team coach at Bayern, setting his sights on a second trip to Munich in 2012.

He would have nothing against appearing in the final on May 19 and believes Bayern is a hurdle his side can and will pass.

"We have nothing to hide from," he is quoted as saying in the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

"We go onto the field without any stress, no matter who we are up against."

The ambitious coach, who has won 14 out of 19 games since taking the command from Thorsten Fink last October, added: "My trophy cabinet is still empty."

The optimism is not confined to Switzerland's northernmost city, though.

On the other side of the border, Germany's last remaining club in the Champions League are eager to keep their dream alive of reaching the final in their own living room.

"Basle is a very important game in terms of our whole season and we have got to go through against them," said Bayern's president Uli Hoeness.

However, there is also a touch of realism in the Bayern camp.

"Basle are not going to make it as easy for us as Hoffenheim did," said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes.

"We know that we have to overturn a 1-0 deficit."

Heynckes is sweating over the fitness of Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben, who both limped out of Saturday's win and will be a doubt right up until kick-off.

Jerome Boateng also failed to last the whole 90 minutes and he too is a doubt.

Basle arrive with only one doubt after Park Joo Ho missed the Grasshoppers game with a calf injury.