European kickoff

For Germany's football giants Bayern Munich, a spot in the UEFA Champions League - Europe's premier club competition - tends to be about as shocking as a setting sun. In the past 15 seasons, Bayern have only missed out on the competition twice, qualifying for the now-defunct UEFA Cup instead on both occasions.

This year, however, Bayern's place in the "real" tournament among the final 32 sides, is not yet guaranteed - though coach Jupp Heynckes seems rather confident about Wednesday's qualifying matchup against FC Zürich, runners-up in the Swiss Super League last season.

"It's an achievable task; our goal is to reach the group stages. We have a good chance," Heynckes said ahead of the first leg match. And at least on paper, Bayern have a very good chance indeed.

Bayern's diminutive captain Philipp Lahm, who seems to have been working hard on his trash-talking at summer training camp, offered a bolder appraisal of what should really be a formality for the stars of the Säbener Strasse.

"It's a good start - a trip to Russia would have been less comfortable," Lahm said of the Zürich matchup. "We're the seeded team, so we're the clear favorite. We must qualify for the group stages, there's no other choice. We just need to play two games well - and then we're through."

Eyes on the biggest prize?

During last season's league slump, as Bayern lay flattened beneath the stream-roller that was Borussia Dortmund, club officials made it very clear that qualifying for the Champions League was their minimum goal.

Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness pointed out last December, as his club languished in seventh in the league, that the 2012 Champions League final would take place in Munich, saying "we have to be there."

Hoeness' exact choice of German phrase was ambiguous, and in context he probably meant "in the Champions League," not necessarily in the final - still, the club's grand ambition must be to go one step further than it did under Louis van Gaal in 2010 and win on home turf.

Winger Arjen Robben, who is fit again and ready for Wednesday's game, said in pre-season that he had one major career goal: "I want to win the Champions League."

That particular ambition may be a lofty one, given the quality of the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid and so on, but it's not outside the realms of imagination - even if Bayern have stumbled out of the blocks this season.

Missing magic

The giants of German soccer have come into a fresh season armed with a new (or rather, returning) coach and most notably a bolstered back line. Manuel Neuer in goal, Jerome Boateng at center back and Rafinha at right back are all examples of new signings Jupp Heynckes has so far drafted straight into the starting 11.

Their debuts may not have been stellar, but Bayern have only conceded one goal in their opening two league matches - making them one of the most parsimonious sides in the Bundesliga at this early stage.

But the Bavarians' star-studded attack - which is largely unchanged this season - has looked laborious. The team's first goal in two matches finally came in injury time against Wolfsburg thanks to Luiz Gustavo - a midfield water-carrier who was hardly purchased for his dead eye in front of goal.

In Bayern's opening-day hiccup against Borussia Mönchengladbach their attackers were repeatedly denied by Germany's latest goalkeeping shooting star, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but it's also fair to say that Heynckes' side lacked imagination and creativity going forward.

The returning Bayern coach ran a tight but rather uninspiring ship en route to second in the league last season with Bayer Leverkusen - and German soccer pundits are already asking whether he can get the Bayern front line to fire on half its cylinders before long.

Two ties against relatively lowly Swiss opposition might provide the push needed to jump-start the Bavarian juggernaut, and even set it on a course for a massive "home" match in May.

Author: Mark Hallam
Editor: Matt Hermann