Bayern tipped for European, domestic honours

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BERLIN, Feb 23, 2010 (AFP) - Bayern Munich were tipped on Tuesday to win both the Champions League and the German domestic league after a superb run of form that has seen them win 13 out of their last 14 games in all competitions.

Ottmar Hitzfeld, a former Bayern coach and current manager of the Swiss national team, said the German giants "have an excellent team at the moment."

"They are one of the favourites and could win the Champions League," said the 61-year-old. Their winning run "is a fabulous achievement that you cannot praise highly enough," he added.

Bayern take a slender 2-1 advantage into the second leg of their last-16 clash against Italian side Fiorentina on March 9 after a controversial last-minute goal secured a win in the Allianz Stadium last week.

Meanwhile, Bayern president Uli Hoeness, said he was confident that his team would lift the Bundesliga trophy for the 22nd time in their history at the end of the season.

"We just need to be patient. Then, at the end, we'll finish clear German champions," he predicted on the sidelines of a conference in Munich.

Hoeness was in a similarly bullish mood about the return Champions League leg in Florence. "Why should we be worried? We did win the game."

Bayern missed out on a golden opportunity to go to the top of the league at the weekend, playing out a disappointing 1-1 draw with lowly local rivals Nuremberg, while Leverkusen, current leaders, also dropped points with a draw.

Leverkusen top the table on goal difference with 11 games to go.