Bayern Grasp Lifeline in Champions League Amidst Internal Problems

On Tuesday night, the world witnessed a scene few would have predicted before the European season kicked off: Liverpool had been knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages.

That's what happens when a team depends on another team for a result.

The big question on Wednesday night: Will FC Bayern Munchen follow suit?

Luca Toni was suspended for the match apparently for his comments midweek about the breakdown of his relationship with Louis Van Gaal. According to the Bayern website, he is carrying a minor injury.

Lady luck once again failed to smile at Bayern on the days building up to the match as Hamit Altintop got injured in a warmup on Sunday. A list of the substitutes will tell you the actual story behind Van Gaal's "starting" XI:

Thomas Kraft, Breno, Christian Lell, Andreas Ottl, Alex Baumjohann, Anatoliy Tymoschuk, and Edson Braafheid.

Miroslav Klose was out with an elbow problem and thus Ivica Olic, who just recovered from an injury, partnered Mario Gomez upfront. The entire team otherwise remained the same with one other exception; Daniel Pranjic joined Mark Van Bommel in midfield.

The FCB faithful received the news of Bordeaux's first goal against Juve. The celebrations had already begun. However, within a few minutes their own players managed to score—this time the scorer was not Daniel van Buyten, but rather an actual striker.

A Mario Gomez shot, palmed away by Haifa's keeper, was sent flying in by Ivica Olic. Who would have thought that Olic would be the man to rescue FCB?

Juventus conceded another goal to Bordeaux in the dying seconds of their clash. Thus, Bayern knew that a 1-0 win in Turin two weeks later would send them through to the round of 16. This is probably the morale-boosting win that Bayern needed to kickstart their season.

Now, the big question: Can Bayern beat Juventus come Match Day Six?

Bayern, to me, deserved the lifeline after all the internal turmoil in the club. It seems the players are falling one by one to injuries.

Yet, the Bayern supporters must be happy at the moment with the return of Ivica Olic, the unexpected, and the rather unsung hero.