Fourth game, fourth win: FC Bayern Munich reached the round of 16 early in their Champions League oasis of well-being and regained strength for the next important top-flight game in the Bundesliga.
As coach Julian Nagelsmann had hoped, his weakened team around double packer Leon Goretzka managed to brighten up the mood they needed before the duel with SC Freiburg on Sunday by beating opponent Viktoria Pilsen 4:2 (4:0).
“In the group with twelve points – that’s not bad,” said Nagelsmann on “DAZN”. Sadio Mané (10th), Thomas Müller (14th) and Goretzka (25th/35th) dispelled all doubts about his eleven with their goals, at least in the premier class.
Adam Vlkanova (62nd) and former Stuttgart player Jan Kliment (75th) conceded their first goal of this Champions League season. “That was unnecessary,” stated goalkeeper Sven Ulreich after the end of the game.
A bigger fly in the ointment, however, was that Müller – who had just recovered from his corona infection – had to leave early after a hit (28th). Nagelsmann later gave the all-clear.
After the next record with the eleventh win in a row in the group phase, Bayern are still enthroned in Group C at the top of the table.
At the end of the preliminary round, there will be matches at FC Barcelona (October 26) with world footballer Robert Lewandowski and with Inter Milan (November 1).
FC Bayern mercilessly in the first section
As in the first leg (5-0), the Czech champions were only a sparring partner for a long time. Sven Ulreich, one of six newcomers to Bayern’s starting XI and the confident substitute for captain Manuel Neuer in goal, who had injured his shoulder, had little to do for an hour.
Up until then, the Munich team had impressed with a concentrated performance and great efficiency in front of goal, but in the last 30 minutes the carelessness increased. Also because Nagelsmann changed cheerfully and made Paul Wanner (16) the youngest Bayern professional in the Champions League.
The offensive Goretzka stood out as in the classic in Dortmund (2: 2), which was so frustrating for Bayern. Champions League specialist Leroy Sané fired the first dangerous shot early on, but missed the goal (2nd).
After a fine one-two with Goretzka, Mané scored an ice-cold lead. Kingsley Coman prepared the 0:2, which Müller scored unchallenged from five meters. A little later, Müller signaled that he wanted to be substituted, but Goretzka scored the third goal.
Big rotation at FC Bayern
Nagelsmann, who was missing seven professionals around magic foot Jamal Musiala, took the opportunity given his team’s dominance to give his second row game practice again.
In front of 11,326 spectators, Noussair Mazraoui brought momentum forward at right-back. A shot by substitute Ryan Gravenberch landed on the bar (77th).