Bayern on the brink

FC Bayern München coach Ottmar Hitzfeld conceded that his side’s UEFA Champions League campaign now hinges on next week’s Group G showdown with AC Milan after Bayern had thrown away a lead to draw with RC Lens at the Félix-Bolleart stadium. “We now have to beat Milan at home,” he said.

No excuse
“We dominated for an half an hour when we were an attacking side,” added Hitzfeld, whose side lost 3-2 at home to RC Deportivo La Coruña last week. “But once we went ahead we stopped being that attacking team. Lens put some pressure on us but that is no excuse.

'Passive'
"We tried to control the situation from defence but became more and more passive and stopped playing our passing game. When we play like that and stop putting them under pressure it quickly becomes very difficult. We should have taken more risks, because our long balls were not difficult for their tall defenders."

Utaka strikes
Both sides went into the match needing victory after losing their opening Group G ties, and after a scrappy opening period, it was Bayern who took control, deservedly going ahead midway through the half when Thomas Linke headed home Zé Roberto's free-kick. Lens came back after the break, and were rewarded for a period of sustained pressure 14 minutes from time when John Utaka rose to power Daniel Moreira’s corner past Oliver Kahn.

Ballack disappointment
Bayern midfield player Michael Ballack admitted his side had again failed to produce their best. "We don't think that one point from this game is enough," he said. "We came to Lens to win. I'm very disappointed about how we played in the second half, because we were not constructing our game very well. The ball was going too quickly from defence to attack and we didn't hold it enough in midfield. That has been happening too much and we must change that."

Utaka delight
A delighted Utaka insisted that his side had not been overawed and fully deserved a point, gained after his equaliser. "Lens were not afraid of Bayern," the Nigerian said. "Of course we considered them a good team, but we fought hard for the draw and we deserved it. But after the game we felt we could have won, because during the last half hour we were the best team on the field."

'We could have won'
Lens, like Bayern, have just one point from two games after losing 2-1 to AC Milan last week, but coach Joël Muller was able to draw positives from his side's performance, if not the result. "A draw was not enough, but I'm happy about the way we played because I'm convinced that we could have won," he said. "Our problem was that we played like juniors in the first half.

'Too naïve'
"We were too naïve. In the second half we played like a European team. I don't understand why we needed to wait so long to get to our best, because we were not afraid of Bayern. When I checked how many chances we had, I'm just disappointed we didn’t convert more."