Bayern had to push to their limits to edge out FC Heidenheim on Wednesday evening. The Reds were reduced to ten men after 15 minutes and were a goal down at half-time but ultimately beat the second-division side 5-4 to advance to the DFB Cup semi-finals. "We must use the psychological advantage for the next few days," said Thomas Müller, looking ahead to the top-of-the-table clash with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. His coach commented after the spectacle: "I've never seen a match like this!"
Reaction to Bayern v Heidenheim
Niko Kovac: "The red card upset our plans, we had to react and switch to a 4-4-1 formation to ensure a certain compactness. We got a better grip in the second half when we deployed a back three, we turned the tide then. I'm really angry we weren't able to run the clock down when it was 4-2, we made life difficult for ourselves. It was a wild, open match, I don't like it this way. Towards the end we had the bit of luck you need in the cup. I've never seen a match like this."
Thomas Müller: "We certainly didn't play well after the red card. We adjusted at half-time and turned in a very good display until our fouth goal. We need to digest the following twist. The main thing is: you could see FC Bayern were still there at that point, even if it was against Heidenheim, although they did a really good job. We're through, and now we must use the psychological advantage we've earned for the next few days. We must give it everything and put Dortmund under pressure and win here."
Frank Schmidt (FC Heidenheim coach): "Our plan was to have a wild game, to keep it open by means of passion. Niko went all-in with his substitutions at half-time, we couldn't fend off the quality then. But we still kept the contest open. We have this mentality that we only stop when we hear the final whistle. I'm incredibly sad we've been eliminated. I think it could have been the other way around. It was fun, it was an incredible evening from our point of view, but with the wrong result."
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