Van Gaal pep-talk prompts second-half revival

Bayern have reached the DFB Cup semi-finals for the 21st time, but the 6-2 victory over Greuther Fürth was not as clear-cut as the score suggests, especially after the visitors led at the break. “Naturally, I was very angry at half-time,“ said Louis van Gaal, bemoaning his side’s lack of aggression. However, Bayern responded with a breathtaking second half to seal an ultimately comfortable triumph.

Reaction to Bayern v Fürth

Louis van Gaal: “Naturally, I was very angry at half-time. There’s no second chance in a cup tie. If you lose, you’re out, and we didn’t want that. Fürth were very good in the first half, but we were very good in the second. Fürth were more aggressive than us, and that can’t be happening. The substitutions were vital. It’s great we’re still in three competitions. That’s important for a big club. One more game, and we could be going to Berlin.“

Mark van Bommel: “The goal meant it was a good start, but we lost concentration. We weren’t aggressive enough and chose the wrong options every time. Fürth deserved their goals, and we made it very difficult for ourselves. We’re not in a position where we can afford complacency. We’ve won nothing yet this season, but we do want to win things. You can’t start taking it easy in a quarter-final. We didn’t play well, but I wouldn’t say we were over-confident.“