Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick has said he is wary of his side's fitness levels as the Bundesliga leaders resume their title defence on Sunday evening against Union Berlin.
Flick's side hold a one-point lead at the top of the league heading into their trip to the German capital, which has been the scene of some impressive upsets thanks to promoted Union's form at their Alten Foersterei stadium.
Union have twice shocked the league leaders this season, beating Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in August and turning out 2-0 victors over Borussia Moenchengladbach three months later. Now it's Bayern's turn.
Flick is unsure of his team's ability to play out a full match of professional football after having only received the go-ahead to resume full team training last week.
"We don't know if the team can hold out over 90 minutes," said Flick. "We have trained well and played three matches of 20 minutes each last Sunday.
"They were played at a very high intensity, but we don't know clearly where we stand. We have to just deal with the situation."
The Bundesliga is the first major league in Europe to return to action since the coronavirus brought football to a halt two months ago and has only come back with a host of strict health regulations, chief among them empty stadiums.
That means Union won't be able to count on their ferocious home support at their ground on the eastern outskirts of the German capital.
They will also be without their manager Urs Fischer after breaking the team quarantine following the death of his father-in-law.
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Saturday's Bundesliga action in pictures
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"It's not possible to surprise Bayern with the experience their players have," said assistant manager Markus Hoffmann, who will take charge of Union for the Bayern match. "They've already experienced everything.
"We have to concentrate on ourselves and try to implement what we can to influence the game in the best possible way."
Bayern's lead was cut to a single point by Borussia Dortmund, who on Saturday showed no ring rustiness in a 4-0 demolition of Ruhr rivals Schalke.
As Bayern prepare to return, German football authorities have made no secret of the fact that several clubs are in a dire financial situation as a result of the lockdown.
If they are able to complete the nine remaining rounds of matches by June 30, clubs could receive around €300 million euros (Dh1.19 billion) from television contracts.
Clubs in England, Spain and Italy, where leagues are weeks away from returning, will be watching to see how the rest of weekend goes.
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Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
more from Janine di Giovanni
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
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Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
TALE OF THE TAPE
Floyd Mayweather
- Height
- Weight
- Reach
- Record
Conor McGregor
- Height
- Weight
- Reach
- Record
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