FC Bayern signed off for the first international break of the season with a goal fest, beating FSV Mainz 6-1. However, their coach was not pleased with the start: "We were too lethargic until the first cooling break," criticised Niko Kovač. But then Bayern upped the ante. "Our passing was quicker, we lured our opponents into the centre and had good moves on the wings," the 47-year-old said in praise of his men, who rewarded themselves with efficient use of their chances.
Reaction to Bayern v Mainz
Niko Kovač: "We were too lethargic until the first cooling break. We didn't find a reply to Mainz' aggression, we thought it would be easy. Then our passing was quicker, we lured our opponents into the centre and had good moves on the wings. David Alaba's goal before the break was crucial. It was over when we scored our fourth goal. We go into the two-week international break happy."
David Alaba: "We struggled to get into the game in the first 20 minutes, we weren't aggressive enough, we weren't quick enough. We also made a few mistakes, it's difficult then. Mainz did a very good job. We got a grip after the first cooling break. I'm proud to be part of this team. Everyone hits the gas in training, you can see everyone loves football. And when we put it into practice as a unit at the weekend it's great of course."
Sandro Schwarz (1. FSV Mainz 05 coach): "The 30 minutes went according to plan, we were bold and defended aggressively rather than only being there to watch, we played well. But you could see Bayern's individual quality again and again, especially the direct free-kick. They converted their first chance after the break and scored the third goal. We conceded the goals too easily after that. We went missing, we were just there to watch. The scoreline is very annoying, especially the way we played in the last 25 minutes."
Alexander Hack (1. FSV Mainz 05): "There's no point lamenting and creating unrest, not for us, not for the club. We must keep going, we now have two weeks to question things and to work."
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