Bayern Munich honchos give update after Liverpool loss

As Bayern Munich dust themselves off from the disastrous performance against Liverpool in the Audi Cup on Tuesday, the focus now turns to Borussia Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup match this Saturday.

At the latest press conference Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitted that Liverpool were "livelier" and "won practically every duel." While Manager Carlo Ancelotti conceded that Bayern "were not in their best condition." Part of the reason for that, according to Rummenigge, is that, since Liverpool's season starts a week earlier, they have a week’s head start to finding their form before the opening of the Premier League.

Another factor that certainly played a role was injuries. Rummenigge stated that the only two players who were in "normal form" were goalie Sven Ulreich and defenseman Javi Martinez. Thiago Alcantara and David Alaba both took knocks during the game, but the club is optimistic that it won't be a serious problem for either player. James Rodriguez also has a muscular issue that will be further investigated on Wednesday.

While these recent preseason matches have left a lot to be desired for Bayern fans worldwide, the upcoming tilt against Borussia Dortmund, the reigning DFL-Pokal Champions, should give a clearer picture as to how the squad will look in the upcoming season. So far, these matches have involved several players who won't be regular fixtures in the senior squad getting minutes in meaningless preseason matches, but all bets are off this Saturday. With Bayern failing to win the Pokal last season, a win against their rivals and the current Cup holders would go a long way to assuage the fans’ fears. Thomas Muller even stated that, though they wouldn't be looking to throw the match against Naples, the Supercup is the priority, as Rumenigge reiterated, "naturally our focus is on the Supercup this Saturday."