Bayern is planning deep for Wayne Rooney

Published on March 29, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments

WAYNE ROONEY has Bayern Munich so worried they are ready to chuck their game-plan in the bin.

Manchester United’s red-hot striker has the normally unflappable Germans running scared ahead of tomorrow night’s Champions League quarter-final showdown.

So much so, that the Bundesliga giants are preparing to ditch their tried-and-trusted man-marking tactics in a bid to somehow stop the England star, who is in the form of his life.

Rip-roaring Rooney has notched 33 goals for the Red Devils this season.

He was rested for the 4-0 hammering of Bolton on Saturday – but can expect to find himself back in the zone when he returns to action at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern skipper Mark van Bommel, 32, said: “It will not be easy to deal with Rooney because he is such a good player.

“We normally man-mark players like him but I don’t think we can with him because he is too good.

“We will have to defend zonally so that more than one player can take care of him.”

The special arrangements Bayern are making for Rooney is a testament to his outstanding form this season – and his enhanced reputation across Europe.

And Van Bommel is under no illusions as to the size of the task his team face in trying to prevent 24-year-old Rooney and United reaching the last four of the continent’s elite competition.

The Dutch international said: “It will be a very difficult tie because United, along with Barcelona, are the favourites to win the Champions League.

“I also don’t think it is an advantage for us to play the first game at home.

“But we played the first game at home against Fiorentina in the last round and we came through.

“If we draw 0-0 here and score in Manchester then we will have the advantage.”

French rivals Lyon or Bordeaux await the winners – with United probably expecting to be at the final in the Bernabeu on May 22.

Holland’s holding midfield captain Van Bommel believes his team could pull off a shock win if the player with the most famously scarred face in football can leave his mark. With Arjen Robben doubtful after straining his calf in Bayern’s shock 2-1 defeat to Stuttgart on Saturday, Franck Ribery looks like the only man capable of upstaging Rooney.

The French winger, linked with a mega-bucks summer move, made little impact as a second-half sub against Stuttgart as he continues to struggle for form and fitness after a series of niggling knocks.

But Van Bommel insisted: “Any team in Europe is glad if you have a great player like Ribery in your team.

“I hope he is fit against United. He is a very good player and we need him.

“We have scored goals and won matches without him in the team. But he is one of the best wingers in Europe.

“If we have everybody fit then we are able to make a surprise against Manchester.”

Anybody who saw their defeat against Stuttgart on Saturday will be of the view that the last sentence is more in hope than expectation.

It was Munich’s first home loss since November and hardly the ideal preparation for Louis van Gaal’s team.

Van Bommel added: “It doesn’t matter what you do in the game before a Champions League match.

“I know Manchester United won but it doesn’t matter.”

And Van Bommel found an unlikely ally in Stuttgart keeper Jens Lehmann.

The ex-Arsenal stopper said: “It’s only human Bayern weren’t fully concentrating.

“United have a lot of quality but it will be tough for them because they will come up against typical German efficiency.”

Mind you, Lehmann is as mad as a March hare.

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