Guten Tag from Munich, Salman Mitha , European/German correspondent and Bundesliga Radio commentator on Ligaradio.
A discussion point after the Bayern-Milan Champions League tie: What a solid performance Bayern goalkeeper Michael Rensing had covering for the suspended Oliver Kahn in the first leg especially since it was Kahn who gave up four goals at the San Siro last year and two in the loss in Munich to AC Milan in the second leg. The 22-year-old Rensing has been waiting patiently over the last couple of years to take over for Kahn, who is still going strong at at 37 and has 292 wins playing a record playing in 528 matches. Perhaps Rensing’s latest outing was a sign that Uli Hoeness and Co. to change. Kahn has already retired from international competition and soon Jens Lehmann will follow. Could Rensing also be consdiered for the national squad? One does not have to look far from the top of the table. Young goalkeepers are plentiful and performing at a high level in the Bundesliga and German national coach Joachin Loew will have to keep a tab on them all:
1. Schalke Manuel Neuer (21 yrs old, 22 matches rookie sensation) 2. Bremen Tim Wiese (25, 107) solid UEFA Cup run. Haunted by his Champions League mishaps. 3. Timo Hildebrand (28, 216) Champions League experience and international caps and has led team to German Cup Final with a clean sheet vs. Wolfsburg. 4. Michael Rensing (22, 12) Has filled in admirably for Kahn when needed.. 5. Nuremberg Raphael Schaefer (28,90) clean sheet against Frankfurt this week to clinch a final berth for the German Cup. 6. Leverkusen Rene Adler (22,5) clean sheets in 3 of first 4 BL matches. He has forced the change from old guard Joerg Butt.
Further down Hannover’s Robert Enke (29,125 first cap vs. Denmark in March), Christian Fiedler of Berlin, (32, 130) and Wolfsburg’s Simon Jentsch (30, 221 who led team to the cup semi-final). A solid corp of German goalkeepers and I challenge anyone to come up with a list like this is another league or country.
Keep up with all the young German goalkeepers of the Bundesliga with the Match day 29 starting Saturday morning at 8:15 CST. Visit the English Language site of the Bundesliga at www.bundesliga.de/en click on the blinking LigaRadio button and the player will automatically launch. This week has six matches including all 90 minutes of the top match Stuttgart host Bayern Munich for third place and a champions league spot for next year. You can also listen to the conference where we bring you highlights and goals from all the matches as they happen.
Please email us with your comments and questions at ligaradio@bundesliga.de I look forward to hearing from you! Bis dann! (Till next time) Salman

Guten Tag from Munich, Salman Mitha, European/German correspondent and commentator for the Bundesliga on LigaRadio.
The Bundesliga is back this Saturday with a Spitzenspiela of a match (as the Germans call a top match) as defending Champions Bayern Munich take on table toppers Schalke 04.
Previewing this match presents a great opportunity to talk about the current rise of Kevin Kuranyi as a top level striker for Schalke and for the German national team. In the Germany match versus the Czech Republic Kuranyi showcased his skills. His two goals in Prague proved to be the difference as the Germans solidified their position at the top of their group for Euro 2008.
His performance is not surprise to those who have followed the league this season. After a slow start Kuranyi scored 9 goals in 12 matches, 10 in victories for Schalke that has resulted in a strong hold on the top of the Bundesliga table.
You can listen to all 90 minutes of the Bayern-Schalke 04 match with LigaRadio this Saturday.
Visit the language site of teh Bundesliga at www.bundesliga.de/en starting at 8:15AM CST.
Click the blinking LigaRadio button and the player will launch automatically. Email me with your thoughts and comments at ligaradio@bundesliga.de
Bis dann! (Till next time)

Guten tag from Munich, I’m Salman Mitha, European/German correspondent for The Soccer Hour and commentator for the Bundesliga on Ligaradio. Here’s my blog entry for the week. Thanks to Glenn for allowing me to keep you updated on the German soccer scene.

This week, the Bundesliga is taking a break for Euro 2008 qualifying and the two top teams in Group D face off Saturday in Prague – Germany and the Czech Republic. They both sit at the top of the group with 10 points, Germany with a better goal differential. However the home side will be the slight favorites due to the familiar surroundings and a healthier, more potent squad. The Germans are limping in, with head coach Joachim Loew hoping to put together a squad that can escape with points and hopefully the group lead. His focus will be to stop the dangerous Tomas Rosicky and the giant in the middle, Jan Koller. Both are familiar to the German squad, as they have both played for Borussia Dortmund. Jens Lehmann was the goal keeper and their teammate during the 2001-02 championship season along with defender Christoph Metzelder (who will be out as his eye looked like Rocky’s after 12 rounds with Clubber Lang after knocking heads last Saturday in a match). Loew hopes!
Metzelder can provide insight to whomever is out there to stop Koller.

Two Koller stories for you: Olympic Stadium in Munich, Nov 9, 2002. Defending champions Dortmund came in looking to prove that winning the title on the last day over Bayern back in May that year was no fluke. But they suffered a set back when Lehmann earned a second yellow card in that match for screaming at his own player. Does head coach Matthias Sammer send in another goalie? No. Koller wears a goalie jersey and nearly helps his team to a draw. Bayern can only score once on him but that was enough to win 2-1 and go on to win the title that season. But since that day, I have total respect for his team mentality.

I still remember that cool Portugal summer evening when I witnessed perhaps the best game of Euro 2004 in Aveiro – Netherlands vs. the Czech Republic. The Dutch go up 2-0 within the first 20 minutes and it looks to be a rout. But the Czechs don’t back down and it’s Koller’s goal in the 23rd minute that gets them going (the ball always seems to find his head! And it’s a big head.). For the next 60 minutes, Edwin van der Sar suffers shot after shot from the Czechs, who end up winning. Koller did leave in the 75th minute (he ended up injured and missed the match vs. Germany later in the tournament) but he had made his mark as the center of attack.

Lukas Podolski of Germany will also be a key to the match; he’s the leading scorer in the qualifying matches so far with seven. And his recent form for Bayern Munich may be a preview of more goals on Saturday. He may play without his teammate and buddy Bastian Schweinsteiger who is suffering from a foot injury. Additional injuries to Thorsten Frings and Mario Gomez (who scored in the last international friendly vs. Switzerland, his first cap) and suspensions to Miroslav Klose and Clemens Fritz has Loew scrambling to put together a worthy team and he’s called up several first-timers. It will be quite a challenge to keep his undefeated record after seven matches (6 wins, 1 draw).

The Bundesliga is back on March 31st. You can keep up with all the action from with LigaRadio. Visit the English language site of the Bundesliga at www.bundesliga.de/en starting next Saturday at 8:15am CST. Click on the blinking LigaRadio button and the player will launch automatically.

Please email us with your comments and questions at ligaradio@bundesliga.de - I look forward to hearing from you!