In a group containing Roma and Bayern Munich, Basel would have seen it as imperative that their Champions League campaign got off to a positive start against Cluj a fortnight ago. Thorsten Fink’s side would lose 2-1 in Romania, heaping pressure on them at home against last season’s runners-up on Tuesday.
Fink, himself a former FCB stalwart, has been nevertheless bullish about the prospects for his side ahead of the midweek fixture. “Anything is possible. We have a very experienced team and if Bayern don't give 100 per cent then we can beat them,” he told UEFA’s official website, not underestimating the abilities of the Bundesliga club in the slightest. “Last term they just missed out on the Champions League, but this season they can win it. They have to be among the hot favourites.”
Die Roten are a side closely followed in the Basel area of Switzerland, and Marco Streller believes this simply means this is a match to relish all the more. “I believe that most people maintain a kind of love-hate relationship to Bayern Munich,” the striker told his side’s official website before praising the Bavarian club. “You realise if you're in the football business, how incredibly nicely and professionally this club is run - Uli Hoeness has made it one of the best brands in the world.”
A bright start to the Swiss Super League season has been followed by a longer fallow period, in which Basel have won only twice from their last six matches. Samuel Inkoom, Streller (twice) and young gun Valentin Stocker were all on target at the weekend as the Swiss champions thumped FC Zurich 4-1 to regain some valuable confidence ahead of the headline-making midweek clash.
Still Confident
Basel may not have made an ideal start to their domestic title defence, but neither have Bayern, slipping to ninth in the standings over the weekend as they suffered their second defeat in six Bundesliga matches.
Surprise league leaders Mainz were the side who picked FCB’s pocket of points at the Allianz Arena, claiming a thoroughly deserved 2-1 success against a surprisingly sluggish and ineffective home unit.
“The problem is that too many players underperformed,” Louis van Gaal lamented after the match, according to Kicker.
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was quick to have his say on matters, indicating, “We have got to ensure that we turn the corner... The beautiful thing about football is that you can put things right again in three days time.”
A mediocre start to the season doesn’t have FC Hollywood wavering, however. On Monday they gave Van Gaal the ultimate vote of confidence by extending the Dutchman’s contract through until 2012.
Last year’s stunning run to the Champions League final is part of the reason behind Bayern’s confidence in their coach, and if such a feat can be replicated, the board will feel thoroughly vindicated, though they will be aiming to go one better this season. After a victory over Roma on the opening matchday, die Roten are on the right track.
TEAM NEWS
Basel
Jacques Zoua looks set to be the only Basel first team player to miss this match. The midfielder suffered a torn thigh muscle on international duty with Cameroon and is set to be sidelined until mid-October at the earliest.
Twenty-two-year-old defender Genseric Kusunga has shaken off a knee injury that has plagued him since the start of August and is fit again.
Bayern Munich
Louis van Gaal has a number of injury issues approaching the short trip to Switzerland, the freshest of which is Diego Contento, who will be absent for around six weeks after undergoing groin surgery following a problem picked up on Friday.
The most decisive problems come out wide, where Franck Ribery (ankle) and Arjen Robben (thigh) are both absent. It’s anticipated the former will be out for around a month, while Robben has yet to play this season and may not kick a ball in anger until 2011.
Teenager midfielder David Alaba will be missing for approximately six weeks with an ankle injury, but Breno is back training after sustaining knee ligament damage in March.
Prediction
Bayern have been seriously toiling going forward domestically, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Basel were to snatch a low scoring draw from this match. On the other hand, the visitors command a wealth of European know-how and should be good enough to break the home side down eventually if they try for the win. Whichever way this match goes, it’s likely to be tight.
Basel 1-1 Bayern Munich 
