Flick: "We used our mental strength to force the win"

Bayern beat Mainz 05 5-2 (0-2) and, with that, celebrated a successful start to the new year. A superb performance in the second half decided the game after the defending champions trailed 2-0 at the break. "At that moment we needed a wake-up call to go full throttle," said goalscorer Leroy Sané after the final whistle. "It was important for us to show a reaction," echoed Joshua Kimmich, who sparked the comeback with his header to make it 2-1.

Reaction:

Hansi Flick: "The changes we made in the second half did us good and were just right. We fought the 50/50s. We lacked that in the first half. We had one or two chances, but our opponents were also dangerous because we didn't win many 50/50s in defence. We wanted to do better in the second half. After that, we played very good football and used our mental strength to force the win. We all know the first half was not what we thought it would be."

Joshua Kimmich: "We came out after the break with a completely different attitude. In the first half, we didn't do enough on the pitch, nor in terms of our mentality, attitude and fighting spirit. Mainz were clearly ahead of us in that respect. It was important for us to show a reaction. Our mentality is right. It's extremely important when you're on the pitch and know your opponents are 2-0 up and nearly score a third."

Leroy Sané: "Right now we need a wake-up call so we can give full throttle and score the goals. In the end, it always requires extra strength. We have to be more alert from the first minute. Mainz did very well, winning the duels, and they were always there for the second balls. They put pressure on us. Overall, we can be satisfied when we win games. We'll be back and we won't stop. We're determined to score when we're behind."

Reaction from the Mainz camp: 

Jan Siewert (Mainz 05 head coach): "I wanted to try everything this week, put everything into it so we could get some belief. You could see leading 2-0 we had a chance to shape the game differently. We had the chance to make it 3-0. Obviously, I'm a bit sad in the end. We tried everything. You have to respect the quality of Bayern as well. We played a good 70-75 minutes."

Jonathan Burkardt (Mainz 05): "The first half was good. If you’re leading 2-0 at the break in Munich, you’ve done a lot right. Conceding five goals in one half is very tough. Overall, it was OK, but nothing more. We were more aggressive, but it wasn't easy against these world-class footballers here in Munich."

Serge Gnabry picked up a knock during the match against Mainz. Read Flick's reaction to the injury here: