IT WAS a good week to be German, less enjoyable for the Italians.

James Whelan

DIETMAR Hamann looks set to play for Germany for the first time since Jurgen Klinsmann took the reins after getting a call-up for this summer’s Confederations Cup.

Arsenal 1 Bayern Munich 0

Arsenal 1 Bayern Munich 0 (Bayern go through 3-2 on aggregate)

Jose Antonio Reyes and Dennis Bergkamp returned after domestic suspension to boost Arsenal’s attacking power as they looked to overturn their Champions League deficit against Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich’s influential playmaker Mehmet Scholl has been ruled out of his side’s return Champions League clash with Arsenal.

BAYERN MUNICH captain Oliver Kahn is confident his team will raise their game for their Champions League match against Celtic in Glasgow tomorrow night.

Bayern Munich midfielder Ze Roberto could miss the Champions League tie at Celtic on Tuesday night with a back problem.

John Hartson insists there's never a good time to be playing Bayern Munich despite the Germans' injury problems for the Champions League match with Celtic.

CELTIC manager Martin O’Neill last night welcomed the Scottish FA’s “invitation” to explain his accusations of double standards against the club.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill believes it will take a “monumental effort” for his side to get anything from Wednesday night’s Champions League clash at Bayern Munich.

Germany 2 Scotland 1

ALL eyes were on Bayern Munich’s €18.75m signing Roy Makaay at the Olympic Stadium, but the Dutch striker failed to find the net on his Bundesliga debut, as the champions eased to a 2-0 win over VfL Bochum.

LAVISH off-season spending will not automatically bring Bayern Munich the Bundesliga title this year, says coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

By Bill George, Yokohama

NOW it finally begins; the elevation to fame and fortune or the descent into anonymity.

German midfielder Joerg Boehme has been ruled out of the rest of the World Cup with a leg muscle tear.

Germany coach Rudi Voller admits his team are like Jekyll and Hyde as they prepare to open their World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Michael Ballack is prepared to play through the pain barrier for Germany in their opening World Cup clash with Saudi Arabia here on Saturday.

GERMANY captain Oliver Kahn declared himself as fit and hungry as ever and predicted Germany would bounce back at the World Cup.

ALTHOUGH the Roy Keane saga had been a well-reported subject in the German media, news about the absence of German darling Sebastian Deisler and the whole ill-fated warm-up campaign dominate the headlines and most German observers wonder what all the Keane fuss is about.

Rudi Voller is hoping the team spirit in the Germany camp will enable them to overcome their crippling injury problems.

A tall, rangy midfielder, he possesses an assured touch and plays much like Liverpool's Dietmar Hamann.

The German media have accused veteran defender Jorg Heinrich of "chickening out" of the World Cup.

Germany coach Rudi Voller has been dealt a hammer blow after Sebastian Deisler was ruled out of the World Cup finals.

Ze Roberto has become the second star from Bayer Leverkusen to join Bayern Munich for next season.

Carsten Jancker has become the latest World Cup worry for Germany.

Germany 3 (Sebastian Deisler 40) Kuwait 0

Tottenham's Christian Ziege and Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann were both selected by Rudi Voller in an experienced German World Cup squad which, as promised, contained few surprises.

England lead Germany by two goals to one at half time in their World Cup Qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich.