FC Bayern were held to a draw in the first match of the final run of fixtures of the calendar year. After ten straight competitive victories, the German record champions drew 1-1 with Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. "We didn't quite play as we'd planned," Bayern coach Hansi Flick said after the final whistle. Captain Manuel Neuer commented: "Taking everything into account we didn't have enough big chances."
Reaction to Bayern v Bremen
Hansi Flick: "We didn't quite play as we'd planned. Bremen allowed us very little space. We weren't able to create chances as usual. The team tried everything in the second half. They fought to avoid defeat, it was impressive. We didn't defend well when we conceded the goal. Bremen did a good job and deservedly took a point."
Manuel Neuer: "The opener was decisive. We had to fight and invested a lot. Taking everything into account we didn't have enough big chances."
Thomas Müller: “Bremen were disciplined in defence the whole match. They let us get up to 45 yards in on goal, on purpose of course. In and around the penalty area they shut down the middle very well and also shut down the wide areas in the final third. Our sloppy defending in the throw-in situation gave them a cheap goal, so their plan worked.”
Frank Baumann (Werder Bremen Sporting Director): “We were bold. We had our chances in both halves, good chances on the break, which in some cases we didn't finish well at all. However, we must admit Bayern were clearly dominant and had considerably more chances. Huge congratulations to our team.”
Florian Kohfeldt (Werder Bremen coach): "Of course I'm satisfied with the point, especially with our performance. We defended in an extremely disciplined manner and didn't give away much. They scored because Leon Goretzka played an outstanding ball. We had good chances on the break and were really bold with the ball. Manuel Neuer showed today that he is the best goalkeeper in the world.”
Reds held by battling Bremen: the match report.
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