Germany awed by Vittek statistics

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With eight goals in his last three Bundesliga games, 1. FC Nürnberg striker Róbert Vittek will be a marked man at DSC Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday.

Incredible turnaround
Having failed to find the target at all in the first half of the season, there were more than a few sniggers when, during the German winter break, the 23-year-old pledged to score ten goals in the remaining 17 matches of the Bundesliga campaign. Yet he has been true to his word. Since opening his 2006 account at Hannover 96 and FC Bayern München in February, Vittek has hit a phenomenal vein of form, with hat-tricks against MSV Duisburg and 1. FC Köln preceding a double in last week's 3-1 win against Werder Bremen.

Autumn misery
It is a far cry from the crisis of confidence endured by the Slovakian international last autumn, when he even became a target for the boo-boys among the Nürnberg crowd. Former coach Wolfgang Wolf had got in the habit of putting Vittek on the bench as the southern German side struggled to get clear of the relegation zone. However, the November arrival of a new coach, Hans Meyer, restored Vittek to the starting lineup. "Robert can make the difference in a match," explained Meyer. Still, rumours circulated suggesting Vittek was keen to find a new club.

Bader determined
Sporting director Martin Bader was determined not to give up on Vittek - in his third season at Nürnberg since joining, initially on loan, from ŠK Slovan Bratislava. Bader urged Vittek to stay and breathed a sigh of relief when he broke his goalscoring duck against Hannover. Immediately, it seemed a weight had been lifted from the striker's shoulders. He regained his self-belief, becoming more of a presence on the pitch and telling journalists: "I have been feeling great in Nürnberg in recent weeks."

'Too good'
However, the last three games have been phenomenal - so much so that the player once considered yesterday's man suddenly has everyone in Germany talking. "If he keeps playing like this, then he is too good for us," said Meyer. Arminia will hope to avoid becoming his next victims on Sunday.

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