When Bayern took off from the Atatürk Airport in Istanbul shortly before 1:30 in the morning (local time) the buzzing in their ears was starting to go away. FCB were still thinking of the cauldron of the Vodafone Park after securing a 3-1 victory over Besiktas to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
"The atmosphere was incredible. My ears were ringing when the fans whistled," explained Sven Ulreich, "It was madness there." The Besiktas supporters provided full volume support for their team. They sang, shouted and whistled their heads off. In spite of being 5-0 down from the first leg. In spite of an early goal from Thiago (18’). In spite of an own goal from Gökhan Gönül (46’).
Heynckes ‘very happy’
"Unbelievable! We talked about it in the dressing room. In terms of atmosphere, it was the best we've ever seen," said Sandro Wagner who scored the third goal for Bayern on 84 minutes. "They were 6-0, 7-0 down and continued to urge them forward. And our fans created a great atmosphere too. You could hear them again and again." After the final whistle, the Bayern players gave the crowd the thumbs up for an "impressive" and "very friendly atmosphere," as Thomas Müller reported.
Jupp Heynckes described the experience in Istanbul as "extraordinary" and "unbeatable." The Bayern head coach was also "very happy" with his team's performance as they refused to be put off by the deafening noise in the stadium. "It wasn't a walk in the park. Besiktas hadn't lost a single game at home before," he declared, "it's a great performance to score eight goals in two games and come out winners here. That shows our strength and cleverness."
FC Bayern eased off slightly after going 2-0 up. Then came the goal fromVágner Love for the hosts on 59 minutes. Bayern were unanimous in complaining about casually giving away possession at this phase in the game. "It was a wild game in the second half. We didn't really get on top," said Müller, "perhaps that was because of the atmosphere in the stadium. We were also affected by the hectic circumstances."
Draw on Friday
At the end of the day there was no doubt about the German record champions progressing to the quarter-finals. After the final whistle, Heynckes said he didn't have a desired opponent for the last eight. "There are only top teams in the quarter-finals. It comes down to the form on the day. It's also crucial to have all your important players. And then you need a little bit of luck at the right point," said the Bayern coach.
Wagner is "very relaxed" ahead of the draw on Friday (12.00 CET). "We are Bayern Munich and we know we can overcome any opponent if we have a good day." A team that leaves the Besiktas cauldron as the winner has every reason to look forward in confident mood.
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