Pep Guardiola has urged Bayern Munich to remain focused for their final home game of 2014 against Freiburg on Tuesday, with midfielders Xabi Alonso and Sebastian Rode doubts for the Bundesliga champions.
Bayern's 4-0 victory over Augsburg on Saturday sealed the unofficial Herbstmeister -- the best team of the first half of the season -- championship for a fourth consecutive year, prompting fresh discussion about the club's domestic superiority in the German media.
"Bayern are Herbstmeister. But can they win the real title? This question has long become irrelevant. Munich make close to no mistakes, and the competitors stagger between surrender and awe," broadsheet FAZ commented in a piece headlined: "Put the Herbstmeister title into the ribbish bin."
However, Guardiola told his pregame news conference on Monday: "Every match starts at 0-0 and you need to fight hard in every game, including tomorrow."
Freiburg are currently 15th in the Bundesliga, and have won only two of their 15 matches this season. They have not picked up a single point from their last 11 trips to the Allianz Arena, scoring five goals and conceding 33.
"I can't accept any reason for us not looking at tomorrow's game as the most important for us at the moment," Guardiola added ahead of what will be his 50th Bundesliga match.
The coach has won 41 of his first 49 games in charge at Bayern -- a win percentage of 84 percent.
"We've got to be well prepared," he added, saying Bayern might have to do without midfielder Alonso, who is suffering from a cold.
Rode, who took a knock in the win at Augsburg, is also a doubt, but Guardiola refused to write the in-form midfielder off. "He's strong. I don't think it's a major problem," he said.