FCB down Al Jazira in first winter friendly

A sublime moment of skill by Miroslav Klose with practically the last kick of the match handed Bayern a prestige 3-2 victory over top Abu Dhabi outfit Al Jazira on Saturday, as Jürgen Klinsmann tried out 19 of his first-team squad in the opening friendly of the mid-season break.

The meeting with the UAE League leaders and Asian Champions League contenders was certainly not to be taken lightly, and Klinsmann duly started with most of the players who formed Munich’s first-choice line-up in the last few matches before Christmas. Christian Lell came in for Massimo Oddo, suspended for the first three Bundesliga fixtures of the year, with new arrival Landon Donovan celebrating his Bayern debut alongside Luca Toni.

A 6,500 crowd turned out at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium for a very watchable evening’s football, former VfB Wolfsburg striker Fernando Baiano handing the home side a fourth-minute lead on the break as the German champions were caught cold, but Bastian Schweinsteiger deservedly levelling things up after half-an-hour.

The Bavarians’ left flank again caught the eye as Philipp Lahm, Ze Roberto and Franck Ribery staged a number of intelligent passing interchanges, while Donovan looked mobile on his maiden outing in a Bayern jersey, narrowly failing to net a tricky half-volley but setting up Schweinsteiger for the equaliser with an intelligent pass into the inside-right channel.

FCB boss Klinsmann made nine changes at half-time, with only US star Donovan and full-back Lell completing the full 90 minutes. The run-out represented a chance for squad players such as Jose Sosa, Breno and Andreas Ottl to impress alongside more established figures in the shape of fit-again Hamit Altintop and Tim Borowski.

Daniel at both ends

The second period was a roller-coaster ride for Daniel van Buyten. The Belgian colossus, captaining the Munich side after Mark van Bommel went off at half-time, handed his men the lead on 48 minutes with a fulminating drive from a free-kick, but the centre-half then scored at the other end, inadvertently diverting a cross past number two keeper Hans-Jörg Butt to level the scores with quarter of an hour remaining.

The game looked destined for a draw as neither side proved able of creating much in front of goal in the closing stages, only for Klose’s neat footwork and dainty 12-yard flick with the outside of his right boot to hand the visitors a not undeserved 3-2 victory right at the end.