Munich - Arabstoday
The German giants are still alive on three fronts and, as the balance between enthusiasm and realism is now a delicate one to negotiate, the Bavarians must not look ahead too soon.Following Bayern Munich\'s 2-0 win away to Olympique de Marseille in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, many fans of the club are already looking forward to a high-profile clash with Real Madrid in the next round. Impressive performances from the German and Spanish giants put both outfits in prime position to progress, but there are still 90 minutes left to play, and in football, anything is possible.After the quarter-finals draw, and especially since the first leg, the possibility of a run-in with Real Madrid has been a hot item in the press. And to many, a tie between the two European giants is already mentally booked. But before that game, Bayern have a \'final\' of sorts against league leaders Borussia Dortmund - who are three points above them in the standings - on April 7 as they look to reclaim first place in the Bundesliga.The German record champions cannot be complacent, however, with last season\'s failure an example of what could go wrong. Just a year ago, the Bavarians had a comfortable 1-0 advantage against Inter heading into the home leg, but saw themselves eliminated following a 3-2 defeat at the Allianz Arena.Speaking to reporters, coach Jupp Heynckes has been quick to underline his stance that every match is a must-win.\"The games against Hannover and Nurnberg were just as important. We indeed have ambitions in the Bundesliga,\" the trainer said on Monday.Heynckes is wasting no thoughts on games that are not imminent: \"It is not as though I have a lot of time to enjoy our good spell at the moment. We are still fighting for three titles and there is a lot of work to do in terms of preparing my team differently for different tasks.\"For Bayern, who will play up to 10 matches between now and May 12, there is a strict ban on dreaming. Not because it is too early, but because there is no time to waste.One of the reasons for Bayern\'s fine run of form has been the sobriety with which they have tackled each fixture: the Bavarians are actually taking it one game at a time. It might be a cliche, but this mentality is a secret weapon.