Louis van Gaal Pep Guardiola’s claims that the Man United manager tried and failed to sign his Bayern Munich stars this summer.

Guardiola insisted United made offers for Bastain Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and Toni Kroos but didn’t have enough money to buy them.

However, van Gaal ridiculed Guardiola’s comments, saying: ‘‘I think every player who I’ve spoken to wanted to play for Manchester United. It is unbelievable that in spite of not playing in the Champions League, the players are coming and willing to come.

“That is surprising but that is because of the greatness of this club and they believe in the project we have started now. I say it again, it needs time.”

But United have splashed the cash this summer, spending around £150million on Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Ander Herrera as the club embarked on a huge rebuilding programme.

Xabi Alonso made his home debut after moving from Real Madrid last month and it was the Spaniard’s free-kick that led to the opening goal.

Mario Götze stopped Antonio Rüdiger’s attempted clearance, cut inside Vedad Ibisevic and shot through a host of players inside the far post.

The Bayern defender Holger Badstuber, who recently returned after missing 20 months with a knee injury and two operations, had to go off before the break with a thigh muscle problem.

His replacement, the 17-year-old Gianluca Guadino, skipped past a host of Stuttgart defenders to create a good chance for David Alaba on the hour, only for the Austrian to fire over.

Franck Ribéry made a near-immediate impact after coming on as a substitute in the 68th minute. Four minutes after entering he set up a deflected Alonso effort that came off the post and Robert Lewandowski struck the post again from the rebound.

Lewandowski set up Ribéry to seal the result with a low shot through the Stuttgart goalkeeper’s legs.

Odemwingie limped out of Stoke’s 1-0 win over Manchester City and will go under the knife in two weeks.

The Potters have left him out of their 25-man Premier League squad, which cannot be changed until January.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes said: “It’s a significant injury and unfortunately it’s a long-term one but Peter has a great attitude to work and life in general.

“He’s always got a smile on his face and he’s going to need those qualities. It will be a long road back but we wish him well.

The former West Brom forward scored five goals in 15 Premier League appearances for the Potters last season after joining from Cardiff in January.

World Cup winner Hoewedes bundled the ball over the line in the 62nd minute as Alonso’s desperate attempt to clear came back off the Schalke defender’s left arm.

Referee Marco Fritz felt the contact was unintentional and the goal was given despite Bayern protests.

“It wouldn’t have been a goal if his arm wasn’t there,” said goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who conceded for the first time against his former club since switching sides in 2011.

Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 10th after carving open the Schalke defense with Sebastian Rode.

Ralf Faehrmann had already made crucial saves from Thomas Mueller and Lewandowski before the Polish striker scored.

The 32-year-old Alonso, who joined from Real Madrid the day before, impressed as Bayern dominated early on but Schalke gradually improved and finished the game strongly.

In another Bundesliga fixture on Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen twice came from behind to defeat Hertha Berlin 4-2 to maintain their winning start, while newly promoted Paderborn claimed its first ever win in the Bundesliga.

Paderborn won 3-0 at Hamburger SV with goals from Elias Kachunga, Mario Vrancic and Moritz Stoppelkamp.

Wolfsburg drew with Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2, Werder Bremen drew 1-1 with Hoffenheim and Cologne won 2-0 at Stuttgart.

In a game that came to life in the second half, Bayern did enough when it mattered to seal the three points.

The home side’s starting XI included a returning Holger Badstuber, a 17-year-old Gianluca Guadino and league debutants Juan Bernat and Robert Lewandowski. Wolfsburg also had a few new faces – Sebastian Jung, Josuha Guilavogui and Aaron Hunt all made their league debuts for the club, while Max Grün stepped in for the ill Diego Benaglio.

In typical season-opening fashion, both sides took their time to grow into the game – taking fewer risks and focusing on being in the right positions. As a result, clear-cut chances were at a premium in the opening half an hour.

Then, almost as if a tap had been turned on, Bayern’s attacking game flowed into action. Wolfsburg goalkeeper Max Grün made a number of fine saves to deny Arjen Robben and an acrobatic Robert Lewandowski. However, eight minutes before the break he was beaten. Arjen Robben got the better of Ricardo Rodriguez out wide and crossed for Thomas Müller, who was in the right place at the right time to convert past Grün. Wolfsburg’s sterling early efforts had been undone, but half time gave them the chance to regroup.

The second half burst into life as Arjen Robben doubled Bayern Munich’s advantage only two minutes after the restart.

The game stayed open and end-to-end though and it didn’t take long before Wolfsburg pegged Bayern back – Ivica Olic scoring a beautiful, dipping effort over the top of Manuel Neuer.

Lewandowski missed a chance to restore Bayern’s two-goal lead, before Wolfsburg substitute Junior Malanda missed a glorious chance to level the scores. His original effort was saved and hit the bar, but the Belgian midfielder remarkably failed to convert the rebound from a yard out.

The Super Eagles forward has joined the Potters on a season-long loan from Chelsea and could make his debut against Hull on Sunday.

Moses arrives with a point to prove after flopping while on loan at Anfield last season – making just half-a-dozen league starts.

Hughes said: “He hasn’t played a great deal in the last couple of seasons, so he wants to play and he will be given that opportunity.

“We feel he’s a player that can give us power and give us pace and we’ve probably lacked that a bit”

Mark Hughes

“It’s up to him if he takes it and I’m sure he will.

“They (Liverpool) found a way of playing they stuck to and he was left out.

“I don’t think it was his fault, he just didn’t get back into the team. That can happen when you go to a big club.”

Hughes admits he was surprised to be able to land Moses and confirmed his arrival all but ends their interest in Nathan Redmond and Oussama Assaidi.

“We’re pleased we’ve been able to get him in,” said Hughes. “We didn’t think we would have that opportunity.

“That’s probably all our business done now. We feel he’s a player that can give us power and give us pace and we’ve probably lacked that a bit.”

Van Gaal arrives in Manchester on Wednesday to take charge of United before jetting out on the club’s pre-season tour of the USA.

And Bayern Munich forward Robben admitted he could have been with his international boss.

“I have a special bond with him,” the 30-year-old said.

“He is the most important coach in my career. After the match he did ask me to come to Manchester.

“It is not an option. I will stay at Bayern Munich.”

Ironically he could have joined United before opting for Chelsea when he left PSV in 2004.

Van Gaal’s approach shows the new Old Trafford chief is still intent on strengthening his squad despite the capture of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera.

United are still in the market for another midfielder – with Juventus star Arturo Vidal top of that particular list, while at least one more centre-half the other priority, with Mats Hummels in the frame.

Van Gaal is expected to push ahead with a series of moves this week when he arrives in Manchester for the first time since actually agreeing to take the job in the wake of David Moyes’ departure.

Germany’s controversial coach claimed Brazil’s quarter-final victory over Colombia had turned into ‘a fight’ and went on to say that refereeing standards are better in Europe.

Brazilian forward Neymar has been ruled out of the World Cup with a fractured vertebrae after he was kneed in the back by Colombia defender Juan Zuniga.

Colombia forward James Rodriguez, the World Cup’s leading scorer, was deliberately targeted in Fortaleza, and a record 54 fouls at this World Cup were committed by both teams during the stormy clash which was refereed by Spaniard Carlos Velasco Carballo.

Low said: ‘Colombia against Brazil was a real fight.

‘I hope the referee, Mr Rodriguez from Mexico, will clamp down on things. That physical energy in the match against Colombia went beyond the limits in Europe.

‘If that match had been played in Europe, 22 players wouldn’t have ended that match. There were brutal fouls. People blocking opponents however they could. It was really exaggerated.

‘That’s what we saw on the pitch, so I hope these really brutal and crude fouls are stopped, or we won’t see players like Messi, Ozil or Neymar, and we’ll just see players who go out to destroy.

‘This is a World Cup that’s full of dynamism and physical force, but I’ve seen matches where the limits have been surpassed.

Brazil’s team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said Neymar will be out for four-to-six weeks

And Rodriguez is the match official who missed Luis Suarez’s bite on Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s final group game against Italy.

He is now under massive pressure in front of a worldwide television audience after Low broke ranks to claim the standard of officiating was below that expected in European football.

Germany’s head coach added: ’It affected playing time was only 38 or 39 minutes, so there were so many breaks in play.

‘I don’t think players and fans like the match being constantly stopped. It’s not a good match. The players were warned what would earn them a yellow or a red card.

‘You saw in the Colombia match many fouls from behind which were really dangerous for the players. There were slide tackles from behind and from the side.

‘You have to protect the players when you’re a referee. That’s something that’s important for everyone working in football. You have to protect the attackers.

‘They have been aggressed in a very bad way. I don’t think it was a good thing that we saw there.’

Brazil’s highly-physical approach has been heavily criticised following last Friday’s brutal clash with Colombia in Fortaleza.

Although Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari claims his team are playing within the rules, the five-time champions have attracted some unwanted attention ahead of this clash.

Germany defender Jerome Boateng spoke in Belo Horizonte last night and claimed Low’s observations were all accurate ahead of this mouth-watering tie.

Boateng, who was sluggish in Germany’s opening games at the tournament, said: ‘ I share the coach’s opinion. We’ve never seen as many fouls like in that match, especially from behind. Quite a lot of things went beyond what is acceptable.

‘We’ll just have to impose our way of playing. I’m highly motivated and glad I’m playing here, like the whole team. We’re happy and I’m eager to play that match.’

Germany’s head coach, who arrived for the press conference on Monday around 90 minutes ahead of schedule, claimed the absence of Neymar could be a motivating factor.

The hosts came into the game on the back of five straight defeats while Furth had lost only one of their last 14, yet it was still the visitors who took a more cautious approach, succeeding in taking back a result to Bavaria which gives them everything to play for on Sunday.

Hamburg, looking to avoid their first-ever relegation from the German top flight, created the best chances in the second half, but they failed to make the breakthrough at the Volksparkstadion.

Mirko Slomka’s side had to cope with a further setback prior to kick-off when regular goalkeeper Rene Adler had to pull out with a back injury.

Jaroslav Drobny took his place between the posts, but he was not really put to the test by a Furth side who appeared more intent on defending.