Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is a qualified teacher in mathematics, yet few believed in any of his equations last November. However, six months later, his calculations have indeed added up to unprecedented success. With three games of the Bundesliga season remaining, Bayern have already been crowned champions of Germany, won the DFB-Pokal and League Cup as well as reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, where they were beaten by Zenit St Petersburg. It may sound like the perfect year for the record German champions, but it certainly has not been easy, and perhaps those not so proficient in mathematics made a major miscalculation last November.

After a 3-0 win against Hansa Rostock, a 4-0 at Werder Bremen and another 3-0 home to Hannover, Hoeness’ claims the rivals would need a telescope to keep an eye on his side this season appeared justified. Bayern did not lose until that game in Stuttgart, which was nevertheless the only defeat of the first half of the season.

But four draws in the final seven games of the year had allowed Bremen to get too close to comfort to share the leadership going into 2008. It was time for Rummenigge and co to react and Kilnsmann appeared before Bayern began their assault on silverware in January. A 6-0 win over Aris Thessaloniki sent Bayern through to the third round of the UEFA Cup, where they beat Averdeen in a equally emphatic manner before destroying Anderlecht in the fourth round.

Back in the Bundesliga, they were again build up momentum with another 3-0 win over Hannover and a 1-0 triumph in Schalke. A shock 2-0 defeat at Cottbus seemed to throw the title race open once again, but the telescopes were out again as Bochum, Dortmund, Frankfurt and Stuttgart were sent packing.

With four games of the season remaining, Bayern led the league by 12 points and a superior goal difference of plus20 gaols. You did not need to have Hitzfeld’s qualifications to calculate the chances of Bayern winning their 21st Bundesliga title. And the confirmation came in Wolfsburg, against Felix Magath, the man who had led Bayern to successive league and cup doubles before being replaced on the coaching merry-go-round by Hitzfeld in February 2007.

The DFB-Pokal had been won after beating Borussia Dortmund in the final, which left just Europe to be conquered.

And that required perhaps the most meticulous arithmetic. Trailing Getafe 4-2 on aggregate with four minutes of extra time remaining, Bayern appeared to be out of the UEFA Cup in the quarter-finals, but a late brace from Luca Toni, arguably their hero of the 2007/08 season saw them through on away goals.

The semi-final provided the same constellation with a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Munich meaning Bayern had to raise their game at Zenit St Petersburg. This time, Bayern were unable to perform any miracles in Russia and crashed out on the back of a 4-0 hiding.

“We have won two titles and are in the UEFA Champions League next season, where we belong,” said general manager Uli Hoeness philosophically after crashing out of Europe at the last hurdle.