Business as usual for impressive Reds

Bayern made a winning start to the 2006-7 Bundesliga campaign thanks to goals either side of half-time from Roy Makaay and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

A capacity 69,000 crowd at the Allianz Arena saw the champions roar off the blocks in stark contrast to their patchy pre-season displays.

The first 45 minutes featured a resurgent Makaay on effervescent form, the Netherkands striker hitting a post with the first move of the match before handing his side the lead midway through the half.

Bastian Schweinsteiger doubled the advantage ten minutes after the restart, and although visiting Borussia made a fist of it for a time, Olli Kahn was not to be denied on the day he chalked up a half-century of top flight appearances.

There was even time for Lukas Podolski to make a late debut as a sub, as the champions impressively threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the league on the very first day.

No start for Poldi

Felix Magath's early season teams always have a slightly unfamiliar look, correlating more to fitness levels than any other factor, but the boss still managed his customary selection surprise by leaving out star summer signing Podolski.

Roque Santa Cruz partnered Makaay instead, with Owen Hargreaves behind the front two, Bastian Schweinsteiger out on the left, Hasan Salihamidzic on the opposite flank, and Andreas Ottl in the holding role.

The back four of Willy Sagnol, Lucio, Daniel van Buyten and Philipp Lahm had a more first-choice feel to it, and Oliver Kahn naturally remains the number one keeper at the club.

Five hundred up for Olli

The customary full house at the Allianz Arena was treated to a music and fireworks display heralding the start of the new top flight season, before the majority in the ground rose to acclaim Oliver Kahn, presented with a commemorative certificate marking his 500th Bundesliga appearance.

Any fears that Bayern's disappointing pre-season form might spill over into their league efforts were soon dispelled when Makaay hit the upright with barely 30 seconds gone, before forcing a tremendous save out of visiting keeper Roman Weidenfeller with the match still in its infancy.

The shot-stopper spread himself bravely to deny Schweinsteiger on 13 minutes, but Bayern were a trifle fortunate on the quarter-hour when Sagnol inadvertently scooped an attempted clearance against his own bar under pressure from Alexander Frei, the Swiss newcomer heading the rebound narrowly over.

Makaay on target

Borussia lost their inspirational captain Sebastian Kehl after a fierce challenge from Salihamidzic, but the Reds had the game by the scruff of the neck in any case and deserved the 24th minute lead earned by Makaay's crisp drive from the edge of the box.

Hargreaves' misplaced back-pass almost let in Borussia newcomer Nelsen Valdez on the half-hour, but Kahn got down smartly to deny the Paraguay striker.

His fellow-countryman Santa Cruz then combined well with Makaay, but the Dutch ace ran out of space and failed to get his shot away.

The home side were satisfied enough with that and shifted down a gear as the match meandered to the interval.

Schweini shoots and scores

The double winners were content to sit back in an untidy opening to the second period, but that all changed on 55 minutes when Lahm hared clear down the left before squaring for Schweinsteiger to bury a clinical drive from the edge of the area.

Dortmund were not dead yet, and Kahn had to be alert to deny Dede on the hour before Markus Brzenska headed narrowly over the bar as the Ruhr Valley visitors sought a way back into the match.

The giant Bayern keeper pulled off a superb one-handed stop from Valdez after 67 minutes, but the Reds soon responded and Makaay drew a fine save from Weidenfeller after a neat one-two with Santa Cruz, before Lahm saw his 20-yard effort shave the upright.

Borussia sub David Odonkor hardly had a sniff as Lahm expertly marshalled his fellow Germany starlet, and although Kahn made late saves from Valdez and sub Ebi Smolarek, there was no real risk in late sub appearances for Scholl, Podolski and dos Santos in a generally convincing Bayern display.

Chris Hamley reporting from the Allianz Arena for fcbayern.de