Van Gaal: We ultimately deserved the win

It rates as a wonderful weekend for Bayern: The club is now 110 years old, and handed itself the best present of all with a 1-0 victory over Hamburg, to go back to the top of the Bundesliga for the first time in one and a half years. The mood in the FCB camp afterwards was understandably elated, as the goal of a 22nd domestic league title moved a decisive and important step closer.

Reaction to Bayern v Hamburg

Louis van Gaal: “The sides were evenly-matched. Hamburg rate as rivals, and they have a very good team. We’ve only lost to Hamburg and Mainz this season, and Hamburg hadn’t lost at the Allianz Arena until today. There were a number of factors against us today, but we’ve ultimately deserved the win. It’s always better to be leaders. The other clubs have to watch and see what we do now.”

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “It’s a wonderful weekend for us: we’ve been waiting for Leverkusen to slip up. It’s psychologically important to take your chance, and we’ve succeeded today. Our goal is to win the Bundesliga. We want the shield here in Munich, and we’re on course for that now. But it’s not going to happen automatically. The others will chase us all the way. But I’d rather be the hunted than the hunter. It’ll be hard knocking us off the top now.”