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Bayern Munich led the Bundesliga table from week one to week 34 to win the league by 10 points over Werder Bremen in 2007/08, setting a new record for least goals conceded in the process.
Bremen had been close to Bayern in the Hinrunde, but stumbled a little after the winter break to finish just two points ahead of third-placed Schalke.
Borussia Dortmund’s woes continued with a dismal 13th-placed finish, but they were well clear of the relegation zone by the end of the campaign, as Nurnberg, Hansa Rostock, and Duisburg all went down.
CHANGES
After taking over from Felix Magath in the second half of the previous season, Ottmar Hitzfeld took charge of Bayern Munich for the full 2007-08, having previously coached them from 1998 to 2004. He was given a huge financial backing from the club, allowing him to sign Franck Ribery from Marseille for €26 million, as well as Germany international striker Miroslav Klose and Italy’s Luca Toni. Ze Roberto also arrived from Santos for €9.5m.
Bayern did not make much back in transfer fees, with Owen Hargreaves joining Manchester United for €17m, but both Claudio Pizarro and Hasan Salihamidzic were allowed to leave for free, to Chelsea and Juventus respectively.
Magath had taken over at Wolfsburg and turned them from relegation candidates to European contenders, finishing fifth to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Their campaign was helped by the additions of Edin Dzeko, Diego Bengalio, and top scorer Grafite.
Despite ending up in third position, Schalke sacked coach Mirko Slomka during the season, replacing him with former players Mike Buskens and Youri Mulder, who won five of the six games they oversaw. Schalke’s big signing was Croatian teenager Ivan Rakitic, who they signed for €5m from Basel.
Borussia Dortmund’s most expensive transfer also came from Basel, with Mladen Petric joining for €3.5m, while Jakub ‘Kuba’ Blaszczykowski was a €3m addition from Wilsa Krakow. Defender Christoph Metzelder left on a free…
Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/season-reviews/brilliant-bayern-win-with-best-ever-defensive-record-bundesliga-in-2007-08/125
Author : [email protected] (Martin Macdonald)
Publish date : 2024-07-29 14:00:00
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