Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola has hinted
European exploits may have taken their toll on
his side after Saturday's 0-0 draw with
Hamburg.
A frustrating afternoon saw a much-changed
Bayern side struggle to find any meaningful
attacking fluidity against Hamburg, who will have
delighted new boss Josef Zinnbauer with an
impressive rearguard display.
However, Guardiola was left to bemoan an
impotent performance from his side, with the
former Barcelona boss particularly disappointed
by a slow start exhibited by his team, who were
rocked by an injury to star winger Arjen Robben
during the pre-match warm-up.
Yet Guardiola suggested that it was the nature of
the fixture list that conspired most against his
team at the Imtech Arena, with Bayern coming
into the game on the back off a hard-fought 1-0
win over Manchester City in midweek.
He told the club's official website: "It was not
easy to come into this game on the back of a
Champions League match against Manchester
City. In the second half it was a bit better, but
unfortunately we did not take our chances."
However, the Spaniard insisted his side were
capable of rising to the challenge of firing on all
fronts and hitting top form once again.
"We now have to keep working until December. It
is a tough time ahead," he added.
One of Bayern's best chances of the game fell to
Philipp Lahm midway through the second half,
and he echoed the frustration expressed by his
boss after the game.
He told reporters: "We can't really be happy
when we only get a draw. In the second period,
we definitely had the chances to win the game.
"In the first half, though, we weren't quite at our
best. We'll focus on Tuesday now."
That game on Tuesday will see the champions
travel to newly promoted Paderborn, who are the
surprise leaders in the Bundesliga, thanks to a
2-0 win over Hannover on Saturday.
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