Coach: It was tough going today

It was a close run thing at times, but Bayern maintained their grip on top spot in the Bundesliga with a 3-2 victory over Hertha Berlin on Saturday, the 35th time in a row FCB have avoided defeat in the league. “That’s one of the best teams we’ve played so far,” acknowledged Pep Guardiola afterwards. Captain Philipp Lahm said he was looking forward to a “normal week,” as there is no Champions League or DFB Cup fixture this time.

Reaction to Bayern v Hertha Berlin:

Pep Guardiola: “That’s one of the best teams we’ve played so far. We weren’t very good today. In the coming week, we have time to regenerate and prepare for the trip to Hoffenheim. My players need the time. We’ve played a lot of matches in the last two months and they’re a little tired, as we all saw today.“

Philipp Lahm: “You could see we were weary, mentally as well as physically. But in this situation, the important thing is to take the three points. We’re looking forward to the normal week coming up now. It’s been a packed programme, especially for the internationals. We’ve changed a lot of things around, which requires plenty of concentration and alertness, but it gets to you. It’s good we can clear our heads now.“

Mario Götze: “Hertha aren’t where they are in the table for nothing, they were really dangerous. Relatively speaking, we let them have a lot of chances. It was tough going and we’re genuinely delighted about the three points. Playing 70 minutes was important for me. I’m not yet at 100 percent, but that’s normal.“

Franck Ribéry: “It was very difficult today. Hertha played extremely well and covered a huge amount of ground. We’ve had three home games in a week, and we’ve won all three - that’s superb!“

Jos Luhukay (Hertha BSC coach): “Congratulations to Pep and his team. The Bayern substitutions knocked us out of our stride. That’s why we conceded the equaliser, because we didn’t stick to our man. We weren’t determined enough in the situations leading to their goals. It’s a shame, and we didn’t have the little bit of luck you need. Otherwise we might perhaps have come away with a point.“