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Bayern Munich v Hamburg: Ribery and Rafinha back in the frame
12 February 2015
Franck Ribery and Rafinha look set to provide Bayern Munich with a timely boost by returning for Saturday's visit of Hamburg.
David Alaba is glad that Franck Ribery and Rafinha are back in the first-team picture at Bayern Munich as they prepare for Saturday's Bundesliga match against Hamburg.
The duo were back in training on Monday to boost a Bayern side who have faltered since the mid-season break, with three games yielding just four points.
Ribery and Rafinha have missed all of those matches, the Frenchman having sustained a thigh injury and the full-back having damaged ankle ligaments.
But with those injuries behind them and a week of training under their belts, the two look set to feature as Bayern seek to reassert their authority in the league.
"We want to move on up. We'll prepare well this week and then hopefully give our fans at the Allianz Arena something to shout about," defender Alaba told the club's official website ahead of the 100th meeting between Bayern and Hamburg.
"It's good to have Franck and Rafa back. We need them as they're both very important players."
Bayern will not need any reminding of the difficulties that Hamburg can pose, with September's Bundesliga meeting ending goalless.
Pep Guardiola's side did have more joy the following month in a DFB-Pokal clash that ended 3-1 to the visitors at the Imtech Arena.
Ribery was on the scoresheet in that match, as indeed was Alaba, and Bayern are generally used to beating Hamburg.
Last term they did it three times, scoring 12 goals in the process - the same number they racked up in just two games the season before.
Hamburg have to go back to 2009 for their last win over Bayern, with their last victory at the Allianz coming two years earlier.
But Josef Zinnbauer might prefer to reflect on more recent history, as his first game at the Hamburg helm was the stalemate against Bayern.
He has also guided his side to back-to-back victories, which has lifted them four points clear of the bottom three, and only three points shy of seventh-placed Hoffenheim.
And there is belief among his charges, with Croatian forward Ivica Olic predicting a shock.
"I think we can cause an upset," he told Sport Bild. "But even a draw would be quite special."
Bayern's lead at the Bundesliga summit is eight points and they have won nine of their 10 home league matches in this campaign, conceding just three goals.
Valencia a small club compared to Bayern Munich, says Bernat
By Stefan Coerts
Feb 13, 2015 09:30:03
The Spain international is thoroughly enjoying life in Germany and admits he was surprised when Pep Guardiola came calling
Juan Bernat has stressed that he has no regrets over his decision to leave Valencia for Bayern Munich ahead of the 2014-15 campaign.
The 21-year-old has developed into an important first-team player at the Bundesliga champions since his summer move and he is delighted to be part of a club of Bayern's stature.
"Up to now my move to Bayern really has been like a dream. Valencia are a small club compared with Bayern," Bernat told the official Bayern website.
"At the age of just 21 I took the plunge to move to a new country, a new league and it’s turned out brilliantly for me being a regular first choice in such a great team. It’s exceeded all my expectations. I just hope it carries on.
"It was a great honour when Bayern contacted me and it made me feel really proud when Pep [Guardiola] rang me to ask if I could imagine signing for Bayern.
"And, of course, I was a bit surprised as I was only 21 and playing my first season at left-back.
"There were no problems with my club Valencia as my contract only had a year to run. Most people shared my excitement and they gave me a good send off."
Bernat has made 29 appearances in all competitions so far this term, scoring once in the process.
The Netherlands midfielder says the Bayern star is without a doubt among the five best players in the world
Hamburg skipper Rafael van der Vaart admits Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben will take some stopping when the two sides meet at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Van der Vaart has hailed his compatriot's mental strength and feels his former Real Madrid team-mate is one of the best players in the world at present.
"Robben is a machine. We have to hope Arjen has a bad day on Saturday," Van der Vaart was quoted as saying by TZ.
"Arjen is among the five best players in the world at the moment in my opinion.
"He has gone through difficult moments in the past, like when he missed the penalty against [Borussia] Dortmund in 2011-12, but he is incredibly strong mentally.
"We face one hell of a tough task to stop him."
Robben has been a key figure for Bayern so far in 2014-15, netting 14 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions.
The attacker sits second in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts with 12 goals, trailing leader Alexander Meier by two.
The Borussia Dortmund director expects the Germany international to find his best form again now that his future has been resolved at last
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc is hopeful that Marco Reus' contract renewal will give him the peace of mind to rediscover his best form.
The Germany international ended immediate speculation about his future by signing a two-year extension to his previous deal earlier this week, with his new terms set to keep him at Signal Iduna Park until June 2019.
Zorc believes that ending the uncertainty about his future will allow Reus to focus on his performances on the pitch and give BVB a lift in their relegation battle.
"We are hopeful that his new contract will give him a boost," Zorc was quoted as saying by Bild.
"It's always reassuring for a player when he knows his future has been sorted.
"Maybe Marco had already made his decision before the game against Freiburg. You could see on the pitch that he looked liberated."
Reus has netted four goals in 10 Bundesliga appearances so far, with his latest strike coming in the 3-0 win over Freiburg last week.
The 25-year-old will be looking to add to his tally when BVB take on Mainz on Friday, as they seek a win which would take them level on 22 points with their 13th-placed opponents.
The Bayern boss sees no reason to be concered by the Polish attacker's inconsistency, while he has taken the time to praise Arjen Robben
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has insisted that he is not worried about Robert Lewandowski's poor run of form since the restart of the Bundesliga.
The Poland international has scored just one goal in his last seven league games, although he had a goal questionnably chalked off against Schalke, and has received his fair share of criticism in recent weeks.
Nevertheless, Guardiola is confident the former Borussia Dortmund star will find his feet and has made it clear that he is always willing to sit down and discuss his difficulties with Lewandowski.
"Our strikers get fewer chances when we don't play well," Guardiola stated at a press conference.
"Lewandowski has had some clear-cut chances, but I am not worried about his form.
"I am thinking about our game in general.
"If Lewandowski has a problem, my door is always open for him. But he has told me that everything is going well. My style of play is not that hard."
Unlike Lewandowski, Arjen Robben has been in lethal form in 2014-15 and Guardiola has nothing but praise for the Dutchman.
"Robben is of vital importance to the team. He has not been injured for quite a while. He is fully fit, both mentally and physically.
"He is very hungry for goals. Everything about him says that he is ready to score goals. He is an example to follow for other players."
Robben has already scored 12 goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances so far this term.
Guardiola also said he is happy to see Marco Reus commit his future to Borussia Dortmund, after the attacker signed an extension which keeps him at the club until 2019, despite Bayern's heavily reported interest.
"Congratulations to Dortmund and Marco," he added. "It is his decision. He is a great player and I hope he can play until the end of the season without injuries. I want us to see the best players."
The Bayern Munich coach's contract expires in 2016 but the chairman has revealed there is no intention of discussing a new deal until the season is over
Bayern Munich will not open contract talks with Pep Guardiola until the end of the season, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed.
The Spanish coach's current deal expires in June 2016 and the lack of progress on a new deal has stirred up a lot of speculation surrounding his future at the Bavarian giants.
The club chairman has since revealed that he has spoken to Guardiola about a renewal, but the former Barcelona boss has no interest in discussing the matter while the campaign is still ongoing.
"I talked to him about it two weeks ago," Rummenigge told ESPN. "The result of this discussion was that I won't ask him again while this season is running. We will talk afterwards and then we'll see.
"I am pretty relaxed because I think we can offer him a very good team. I believe he likes the city, the club's culture and life in Munich.
"My general impression is that he feels settled in Munich, so we'll see. I don't know what his final decision will be. We are happy with him and we hope he feels the same way about the club and will renew his contract."
First-team players Dante, Philipp Lahm, Xabi Alonso, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben are all over 30-years-old, but Rummenigge has no worries that the squad is in need of a massive injection of youth.
"We have some players now who are in the autumn of their carees and are in their 30s," he added. "But I don't think we're in a critical phase. I still enjoy watching Robben play. Over the last two years he was playing at an incredibly high level.
"Of course we have to care about keeping the right balance. But I am convinced we can do it and we will replace them properly some day."
Bundesliga Review: Bayern score eight as Wolfsburg edge nine-goal thriller
14 February 2015
Bayern Munich hammered Hamburg 8-0, while Wolfsburg edged a nine-goal thriller at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Arjen Robben all scored twice as Bayern Munich demolished Hamburg 8-0 in the Bundesliga.
Hamburg came into the game having won back-to-back matches for the first time in the campaign, but their problems began when Muller converted a 23rd-minute penalty.
Gotze doubled Bayern's advantage and a brilliant long-range strike from Robben made it 3-0 at half-time.
The Netherlands winger was on target again in the 47th minute and Robert Lewandowski got in on the act a minute after Muller sumptuously curled home the fifth.
Franck Ribery came off the bench to move the scoreline on to 7-0 and Hamburg's humiliation was complete when Gotze concluded the rout two minutes from time.
Pep Guardiola's team remain eight points ahead of Wolfsburg, who completed an astonishing 5-4 win at Bayer Leverkusen thanks to striker Bas Dost netting his fourth goal of the contest deep into stoppage time.
Dost, who helped himself to a double when Dieter Hecking's men stunned Bayern 4-1 last month, scored either side of Naldo's 17th-minute contribution to surge Wolfsburg into a 3-0 lead inside half an hour at the BayArena.
But by the time Dost brought up a hat-trick, Leverkusen forward Son Heung-min had two goals on the way to a treble of his own.
In the 72nd minute - four minutes after Son's third - Karim Bellarabi hauled Leverkusen level before the game took another twist.
Home centre-back Emir Spahic collected a second booking with eight minutes of normal time remaining and, with the last, remarkable act of a pulsating affair, Dost flicked home at the near post steal the points.
Borussia Monchengladbach capitalised on slip-ups by rival UEFA Champions League qualification candidates Schalke and Augsburg to move into third courtesy of some more late drama.
Cologne appeared set to leave Borussia-Park with a share of the spoils, but Granit Xhaka scored the only goal of the match in the first minute of injury time.
Schalke were on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline at Eintracht Frankfurt, Lucas Piazon settling matter for the hosts after 64 minutes.
Werder Bremen moved their resurgence to nine wins from 13 matches by beating Augsburg 3-2.
Viktor Skripnik's team lie behind Hoffenheim on goal difference after the seventh-placed side secured a 2-1 home win over basement boys Stuttgart.
Borussia Dortmund's fighting spirit pleases Jurgen Klopp after they score four second-half goals to beat Mainz 4-2 on Friday.
Jurgen Klopp praised Borussia Dortmund's spirit after they came from behind to beat Mainz 4-2 in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Having fallen behind to a fine Elkin Soto goal in the opening minute following a mistake by Neven Subotic and Roman Weidenfeller, Dortmund launched a stirring fightback after half-time.
Goals from Subotic, Marco Reus, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nuri Sahin secured a win that lifts Dortmund out of the relegation play-off place and four points clear of the bottom two.
Klopp hopes the victory can be a turning point in Dortmund's season, after a disastrous first half of the campaign that has left them firmly in a relegation battle.
"We deserved to win," said the head coach. "This was a six-point game, but the severity of our task is unaffected.
"The first goal was slapstick, it was a terrible start. But we have responded very well.
"We knew we would create the chances if we continued to play and stay on track. We have scored great goals, [so] all is well."
Bas Dost said Bayer Leverkusen were remarkably resilient, as he scored four goals to power Wolfsburg to a 5-4 Bundesliga win.
Four-goal hero Bas Dost said he could not believe Bayer Leverkusen's resistance in Wolfsburg's 5-4 Bundesliga win on Saturday.
Wolfsburg led 3-0 in the first half, and 4-2 with less than half an hour to play at the BayArena, but required a late Dost winner to clinch the three points.
Dost took his season haul to nine but the Dutchman said he was not as taken by his own performance as he was their hosts in Leverkusen.
"Every time I scored I thought the game was over but they fought back every time. It's unbelievable," Dost told Bundesliga.com.
"If that game finishes 4-4 we'd have been incredibly frustrated but now we can laugh about it. It was a very difficult game.
"We were on top in the first half but it was a completely different story after the break.
"It was too easy for Leverkusen to get back into the game but to score five goals in an away match is great for us."
On the title race, which Bayern Munich lead by eight points to second-place Wolfsburg, Dost said he was only concerned about securing a spot in the UEFA Champions League next term.
"We're not thinking about Bayern - we're aiming for the Champions League and I'm sure we'll get there," Dost said, with Wolfsburg 10 points clear of fourth-placed Schalke.
Wolfsburg's Andre Schurrle, up against his old side, said he was disappointed with the reception he received from the home fans.
"I wasn't bothered by the reception I got from the Leverkusen fans. It was a shame but it doesn't bother me," said Schurrle, who called the BayArena home from 2011-13.
Son Heung-min, who scored a hat-trick in 10 second-half minutes, said the last-gasp concession was gutting.
"It's a big shame that we lost," the South Korea international said.
"We fought back really well in the second half and I thought we played well too, but if you concede a goal like that in the final second it's all the more painful.
Midfielder Nuri Sahin claimed Borussia Dortmund "played football again" in their 4-2 triumph over Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin claimed his team "played football again" in their 4-2 win against Mainz on Saturday as they notched back-to-back Bundesliga wins for just the second time this season.
Dortmund rose to 14th in the Bundesliga standings after their home victory, two positions and two points clear of the relegation zone, although Hertha Berlin (15th, 21 points) and Paderborn (16th, 20) could overhaul Jurgen Klopp's men on Sunday.
But more important to Sahin was the way Dortmund played, claiming they are "on the right track" and returning to the style of play that has brought them so much success under coach Klopp.
"We've taken a huge step forward, particularly in the fact that we played football again and that everyone wanted the ball," the 26-year-old said.
"We didn't just resort to throwing the kitchen sink and hitting it long in the hope that the ball would land at someone's feet. In fact, we earned our luck and played football again."
After a dreadful first half of the season, Dortmund have claimed seven points from four games since the Bundesliga's resumption after the winter break.
That has also coincided in the return of Sahin and Marco Reus to full fitness.
Sahin and Reus did not start a match together in the first half of the campaign due to knee and ankle injuries respectively, but have been in the starting XI in their club's past four fixtures and both scored against Mainz.
"I think I've started the Ruckrunde [second half of the season] quite well," Sahin said.
"I'm fit and at a very good level physically. The coaches and the team are pleased with me, which is the most important thing. I'm comfortable on the field again and not feeling any pain anymore.
"I can go the whole length of a game and throw myself into things. The fact I was rewarded for that with a goal against Mainz will obviously do me good as well."
Pep Guardiola would be open to taking calls about football at 3am, according to Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben.
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben claims he could call coach Pep Guardiola at 3am to chat about football.
The Spaniard has been in charge at the Allianz Arena since 2013, winning both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, since his arrival.
And Netherlands international Robben says he has developed a strong bond with the former Barcelona coach.
"We have a very good relationship," he told The Observer. "I like the way he thinks about football and his tactical flexibility means we've played a few systems.
"It's not like we are a 4-4-2 team. We use all kinds of formations with Pep and this means I can play inside or outside, just behind the strikers or even as a striker.
"That’s fantastic because the way he wants to play, with a very dominant style, suits me perfectly.
"And you can discuss anything with him. If it's 3am, Pep would be happy to talk to you about football.
"After Wolfsburg [a 4-1 defeat] you could see on his face how much it hurt him. He hates losing. But every great manager hates losing.
"If [Chelsea boss Jose] Mourinho loses 4-1... he doesn’t sleep well. They are winners. They're so strong and that's why they are so successful.”
And Robben believes his game has come on hugely under Guardiola.
"When I started working with Pep 18 months ago, I noticed how he goes much deeper into football," he added. "His intelligence is obvious. Tactically he's one of the best in the world and, under him, I have made more steps in my development.
Fans wearing boiler suits invaded the pitch during Cologne's derby clash at Borussia Monchengladbach, behaviour the club has condemned.
Cologne have moved to condemn the behaviour of individuals who invaded the pitch wearing boiler suits during their 1-0 derby defeat at Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
Tens of fans donning the white outfits emerged from a section of the ground housing away supporters after Granit Xhaka had netted a stoppage winner for the hosts.
Flares were also hurled onto the playing surface, before the offenders made their way from the pitch as police closed in.
"Cologne will do everything in his power, as it has done in the past, to identify the perpetrators and sanction the groups involved," read a statement.
"We also appeal to fans to distance themselves clearly from those that are extremely harmful to the club intentionally by their illegal behaviour."
While amateur video footage shows some Borussia fans taking matters into their own hands, the club praised the overall good behaviour of their supporters.
"Kudos to Borussia supporters who stayed calm and did not have to be provoked by the events," said managing director Stephan Schippers.
I feared Bayern would reach double figures, admits traumatised Zinnbauer
By Mark Doyle
Feb 15, 2015 14:48:10
The ex-European Cup winners suffered an embarrassing 8-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena, and their coach admitted it could have been even worse
Hamburg boss Josef Zinnbauer has claimed that Saturday's 8-0 loss at Bayern Munich will haunt him for the rest of his life, revealing that he spent the dying minutes praying that the hosts wouldn't hit double figures.
The visitors capitulated after Thomas Muller opened the scoring 21 minutes courtesy of a contentious penalty, with Mario Gotze and Arjen Robben adding to the Bavarians' lead before the break.
The second half was a disaster for Hamburg, as further goals from Robben, Muller, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribery and Gotze saw the former European Cup winners suffer one of the most humiliating defeats in their long and proud history.
Zinnbauer was traumatised by the nature of Hamburg's collapse and admitted afterwards that he was simply grateful that Bayern had not broken through the 10-goal barrier.
"I’ll not forget this day for the rest of my life," he told reporters after the game. "There’s not a lot to discuss when you’ve lost 8-0.
"We have to apologise to our fans because 8-0 is unbelievable, although we did meet incredibly strong opponents today.
"The margin of victory is the right one. Bayern were world class but there is no excuse for losing 8-0.
"By the end, I was hoping that we wouldn't lose by double digits.
"We now have to pick ourselves up, put the game behind us as fast as we can and show a reaction in our next game, against Borussia Monchengladbach."
The German champions destroyed Hamburg 8-0 on Saturday to stay eight points clear in the Bundesliga and prepare for the Champions League in the best way possible
Pep Guardiola believes Bayern Munich have rediscovered their style after their 8-0 demolition of Hamburg on Saturday.
The Bundesliga leaders were in rampant form at the Allianz Arena, with Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and Mario Gotze all scoring twice, while Roberto Lewandowski and Franck Ribery also found the target.
With Bayern having struggled to hit top gear since the restart of the domestic season, Guardiola was delighted with their attacking display - especially given the return to Champions League action next week.
"We played well. Our build-up was faster than last time. I'm pleased our style is back," he was quoted as saying by the club's official website.
"Now we focus on the Champions League."
Xabi Alonso was left out of the side, with Guardiola taking the precaution of resting the midfielder ahead of the meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk.
"Xabi Alonso had a bit of muscular trouble. We didn't want to take any chances," he said.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, who started at the heart of Bayern's midfield, agreed with his coach's assessment of the improvements in their attacking play.
"When you play like we did today, of course it makes it fun. We did a good job, we had good movement," said the Germany international.
"Our build-up play was better than in the last few weeks. We're better going forward."
Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, was delighted to be a part of the goal-fest having received criticism for his form in recent weeks.
"It's always good for us if we can score goals. Of course, Tuesday will be a completely different game, but we are well prepared," he said.
Freiburg came out on top in the Bundesliga's relegation battle on Sunday by winning 2-0 at Hertha Berlin to leapfrog them in the table.
Freiburg edged the battle at the foot of the Bundesliga on Sunday by winning 2-0 at Hertha Berlin to leapfrog their opponents and move up to 16th.
The visitors bounced back after back-to-back losses as Felix Klaus' second goal of the season after 13 minutes set them on their way.
The lead was doubled soon after the restart through Maximilian Philipp as Freiburg moved above Hertha on goal difference.
Elsewhere, Paderborn climbed out of the relegation places by coming from behind to win 2-1 at Hannover.
Marcelo put the hosts ahead but Paderborn equalised with 18 minutes to go thanks to substitute Srdan Lakic before Alban Meha struck the winner seven minutes later.
Along with Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski, Hans-Joachim Watzke claims Bayern Munich wanted more of Borussia Dortmund's players.
Bayern Munich have made advances for other Borussia Dortmund players aside from Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski, according to the latter's chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.
The Bundesliga champions brought Gotze and Lewandowski to Munich from Signal Iduna Park in 2013 and 2014 respectively, with Dortmund having previously been Bayern's main challengers for the title prior to this season's slump.
Prior to Marco Reus agreeing his new deal with Dortmund earlier this month, the Germany international was heavily linked with becoming the next player to make the move south.
And Watzke - who hit out at Bayern counterpart Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's claims that Reus had a release clause in his previous deal - revealed the Bundesliga leaders were interested in more Dortmund players.
"With Gotze and Lewandowski they took our best two players and we lost two pieces of our heart," he told Kicker, before also discussing why he feels the German public hold his club in high regard.
"Bayern Munich were also interested in some other players of Borussia Dortmund.
"We enjoy the highest sympathy values, so that's why we are a real threat for Bayern Munich. We don't polarise strongly and that's why we come across as very likeable."
Bundesliga club Cologne have banned a fan group from their games after pitch invasions during their derby with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Cologne have moved swiftly following trouble in Saturday's derby defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach - banning the Boyz fan group from future matches and removing their status as an official supporters' club.
Following Granit Xhaka's late winner at Borussia-Park, sections of the away support entered the field wearing boiler suits with smoke bombs and flares also thrown from the crowd.
Cologne - who are likely to face sanctions from the DFB - stated that Saturday's scenes "intentionally damaged the club".
The Bundesliga club also confirmed members of the group would be denied access to home and away games as well as potentially being liable to further sanctions in future.
The Germany international has a contract until the end of the 2015-16 campaign, but his club are hopeful of tying him down to a long term deal
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed the Bundesliga side are ready to open contract talks with Ilkay Gundogan.
The Germany international's existing deal is due to expire in the summer of 2016 and clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all been linked with the midfielder over the past few years.
Nevertheless, Dortmund are keen to hold on to the 24-year-old beyond the length of his current contract and will start negotiations shortly.
"[Sporting director] Michael Zorc will certainly look into a potential renewal for Gundogan in the next few weeks," Watzke was quoted as saying by Sport Bild.
A new deal for Gundogan would be a further boost to Dortmund after Marco Reus signed a contract extension last week. The winger put pen to paper on a new deal until 2019 despite interest from several major clubs - although his team-mate is yet to commit his future to BVB.
"I cannot say anything about it at the moment. But I am very happy that Marco Reus has signed a new deal," he commented on a potential new deal.
Gundogan joined Dortmund from Nurnberg in the summer of 2011 but missed the majority of the 2013-14 campaign with a back injury before finally returning to the fold this term, making 11 Bundesliga appearances so far in 2014-15.
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have been boosted by the news that captain Philipp Lahm is running again after his broken ankle.
Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has begun running again 14 weeks after fracturing his right ankle in training.
The former Germany skipper sustained the injury back in November and returned to light training last month.
Bayern confirmed on Monday that Lahm has now stepped up his recovery.
With the remainder of the squad in Ukraine ahead of Bayern's UEFA Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk, Lahm trained at the performance centre of the club's Sabener Strasse base.
Every game until the end of the season is crucial to Bayern Munich's success, according to defender Holger Badstuber.
Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber has stressed the importance of every game from now until the end of the season.
The German champions currently sit top of the Bundesliga and have recorded back-to-back victories following a minor blip upon their return from the mid-season break.
Bayern are also into the third round of the DFB Pokal and visit Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
"The important weeks start now for the club, for us," said Badstuber. "We need to focus. Every game is do or die, so you need to deliver at the right time.
"These weeks will get interesting, so we need the whole team and we will try to get positive results"
Badstuber, whose recent career has been blighted by knee and thigh injuries, is yet to feature in this year's Champions League, but urged caution ahead of Tuesday's encounter with Shakhtar in Lviv.
"Everyone knows Shakhtar, they have been in the Champions League for many years," he added. "So we're warned about their strength, we'll analyse and will face Shakhtar well prepared in both games."
