FC Bayern turned in a convincing display away to Benfica, being strong in attack and organised in defence, allowing their opponents only few chances. Their 2-0 opening victory was more than deserved. "The team did a very good job, they were very serious and absolutely deserved to win 2-0," analysed chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge after the final whistle. "We had to fight but we could have closed it out earlier," said Niko Kovac.
Reaction to Benfica v Bayern
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: "The team did a very good job, they were very serious and absolutely deserved to win 2-0. We're fully satisfied even though more goals would have been possible. It was a successful start."
Niko Kovac: "We wanted to have a good start in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League. We knew Benfica have an exceedingly good team. They have a straightforward approach and try to finish quickly. We had to fight, we had many presentable chances but failed to make the most of them, we could have closed it out earlier. We want to go far in the Champions League. We have to stay focused, we know we're being hunted by everyone."
Joshua Kimmich: "We absolutely got a grip on the match from the off and took an early lead. Then we lost our rhythm a bit and made mistakes. We made life difficult for ourselves in the second half too, gifting away possession too easily. I prefer playing against attack-minded teams. It's not the case in the Bundeliga, where our oppenents park the bus quite frequently. If our opponents take more risks we have more space."
Rui Vitória (Benfica coach): "We wanted to win but faced one of the strongest teams in Europe."
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