The defending Champions League champs, Bayern Munich, will open up the 2013 campaign by hosting CSKA Moscow in Group D action today at 2:45 p.m. Check out the champions' game by clicking this link.
History is working against Bayern in 2013 as no club in Champions League history has ever managed a repeat. Defender Jerome Boateng said that history isn't dulling the team's expectations.
"Of course we want to be the first to do that," Boateng said. "But this is just the beginning and we're not thinking about that yet. We're taking things game by game and, right now, our priority is to make a good start to the group. We want to go as far as we can and to do that, we've got to be on fire from the beginning."
Bayern's director of sport, Matthias Sammer, criticized his club after a lackluster 2-0 win over Hannover recently, demanding more effort from the team and essentially calling their play lazy.
"We need more emotion," he said. "We were lethargic at times and that's not enough for the level we want to be at."
Boateng said the defending titlists haven't bristled at Sammer's harsh words, and will heed his aggressive advice.
"Matthias doesn't say things if there's nothing to be said," Boateng added. "I think the team will take it on board. We now have a busy program of games and we've got to put our foot down."
Bayern will be missing some key components of their club today, with midfielders Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara out. Striker Mario Gotze is also coming along slowly from an injured ankle in a UEFA Super Cup match.
Bayern Munich has emerged victorious in six consecutive Champions League openers, but they will face a CSKA Moscow team that is clicking right now, opening the Russian SuperLeague season with eight straight wins.
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