Gomez claims Chelsea bid

Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has revealed Chelsea lodged a 37.5 million-pound bid for his services during the January transfer window.

Gomez, who tops the Bundesliga scoring charts with 16 goals in 19 appearances this season, claims the staggering bid from the English Premier League club was rejected outright by Bayern and not divulged to the Germany international until later in the month.

Chelsea eventually signed Fernando Torres from English Premier League rivals Liverpool for 50 million pounds – a new British transfer record.

But Gomez has brushed off the missed opportunity to play in England, declaring he would not have left Bayern even if he had known of Chelsea’s interest.

“I only found out about the offer after the club had turned it down,” Gomez told Sport Bild.

“But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. I am already at a top club and I am playing where I always wanted to.”

Wed 9 February, 2011

Gomez claims Chelsea bid

Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has revealed Chelsea lodged a 37.5 million-pound bid for his services during the January transfer window.

Gomez, who tops the Bundesliga scoring charts with 16 goals in 19 appearances this season, claims the staggering bid from the English Premier League club was rejected outright by Bayern and not divulged to the Germany international until later in the month.

Chelsea eventually signed Fernando Torres from English Premier League rivals Liverpool for 50 million pounds – a new British transfer record.

But Gomez has brushed off the missed opportunity to play in England, declaring he would not have left Bayern even if he had known of Chelsea’s interest.

“I only found out about the offer after the club had turned it down,” Gomez told Sport Bild.

“But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. I am already at a top club and I am playing where I always wanted to.”

Wed 9 February, 2011

Bundesliga wrap: Gomez leads Bayern rout, Dortmund held

Four second-half goals saw Bayern Munich romp to a 5-1 victory over Kaiserslautern in Saturday’s Bundesliga action.

The performance from Louis Van Gaal’s side was the highlight of the day’s play in the German top flight, with Mario Gomez striking a hat-trick in the triumph.

Both sides entered the game in form, with Bayern unbeaten in six while Kaiserslautern had not lost in five.

Arjen Robben opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time when he made the most of Thomas Mueller’s assist and just a minute after the break, Gomez doubled the hosts’ lead.

Kaiserslautern were entertaining thoughts of a comeback when Jan Moravek pulled one back just after the hour-mark, but Gomez’s second with just 10 minutes remaining wrapped up the result.

The in-form striker snared his treble five minutes later, making it a remarkable 22 goals in his last 17 matches in all competitions for Bayern, before Mueller added the fifth in injury time.

League leaders Borussia Dortmund remain 13 points clear at the top of the standings, despite sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Stuttgart.

Mario Gotze put the table-toppers in front on the stroke of half-time but Dortmund were made to pay by Pavel Pogrebnyak who struck with five minutes remaining.

Hannover failed to take advantage of Dortmund’s slip-up as they were beaten at home by Schalke by a solitary goal.

Despite sitting a whopping 12 points behind Juergen Klopp’s side on the league table, Hannover found themselves in the usual position of second before kick-off.

But their league position counted for nothing as Raul struck the sole goal in the match after 33 minutes after good build-up work from Lukas Schmitz.

In other matches, Simon Kjaer’s 82nd minute goal gave Wolfsburg a 1-0 away win at Mainz while Julian Schieber’s equaliser gave Nurenburg a point in a 1-1 draw with Freiburg.

Sat 22 January, 2011

Gomez gifted hat-trick as Bayern smash Stuttgart

Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez claimed a hat-trick as an early Christmas present in an eight-goal thriller on Sunday as the German champions routed struggling Stuttgart 5-3 at home.

This was the Germany star’s second Bundesliga hat-trick of the season as he capitalised on a poor Stuttgart defence to leave him with 12 league goals and 19 in all competitions for Bayern.

All five of Bayern’s goals — especially Gomez’s three — came from mistakes in the Stuttgart defence as coach Bruno Labbadia had a baptism of fire in his first league game in charge since taking over from Jens Keller last weekend.

Gomez opened the scoring with a well-taken strike on 31 minutes after Bayern’s Thomas Mueller latched onto a mistake in midfield.

Gomez then returned the favour to set up his Germany team-mate as Mueller netted Munich’s second just five minutes later.

France midfielder Franck Ribery then scored a superb individual effort when he took on the defence before unleashing an unstoppable shot on 43 minutes as it stayed 3-0 at the break.

Stuttgart fought back when second-half substitute striker Martin Harnik pulled a goal back for the hosts on 50 minutes, but Gomez struck twice in two minutes to complete his hat-trick just five minutes later.

Harnick grabbed a second before Germany squad member Christian Gentner made it 5-3 with 20 minutes remaining.

The result leaves Bayern fifth and 14 points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who lost 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, as the Bundesliga signs off for its customary winter break while Stuttgart are second from bottom.

Earlier Germany striker Patrick Helmes came off Bayer Leverkusen’s bench to score the late equaliser which sealed a 2-2 draw with Freiburg to keep his side third.

The result leaves Freiburg sixth while Mainz went second on Saturday after a tense 4-2 win at wintry St Pauli.

Fourth-placed Hanover were stunned 3-1 at mid-table Nuremberg, while Champions League last 16-qualifiers Schalke picked up their third-straight league win with a 3-0 win over Cologne as Spain striker Raul hit a hat-trick.

It was his second in the German league since joining Schalke from Real Madrid at the start of the season and put his side 10th in the table.

Hoffenheim allowed a 2-0 lead to slip to a 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg as ex-England manager Steve McClaren’s side fought back.

The result leaves Wolfsburg 13th in the league and just four points from the relegation zone, while Hoffenheim are eighth.

Werder Bremen slipped further towards the relegation zone when they were beaten 2-1 by Kaiserslautern to suffer their second straight defeat.

Both sides had players sent off in a bad-tempered match.

It was Bremen’s eighth reversal of the season in 17 games and they are 14th in the league, four points above third from bottom Cologne.

Sun 19 December, 2010