Bayern look to avoid Bavarian banana skin at Nuremberg

AFP, March, 2008

BERLIN (AFP) — More than a year after his return to coach Bayern Munich, Ottmar Hitzfeld takes the Bundesliga leaders to relegation-threatened Bayer Leverkusen knowing the title is now theirs to lose.

When Hitzfeld returned in January 2007 for his second spell in charge, Bayern were about to limp out of the Champions League and ultimately finished fourth last season - their worst Bundesliga placing for more than ten years.

"There was little self-confidence, too many errors in defence and too little creativity in midfield - we had much work to do," said Hitzfeld.

But last summer's 69 million euro spending spree (108 million US dollars) has seen Bayern dominate the league since the opening day of the season with world-class strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose bagging 26 league goals already between them.

With nine games left, a seven-point gap at the top of the league and ...