What a game! After a thrilling 90 minutes, and having been down 2-0 and 3-1 during the game, FC Bayern fought their way to a 3-3 draw against Arminia Bielefeld on Monday night. "The mentality in the second half was sensational. It's important to have the belief that you can still turn the game around after being 2-0 down," head coach Hansi Flick said after the final whistle. "We showed a fighting spirit and great mentality. That's also a good quality," attacker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting said. Here's a summary of the reaction from the players and coaches.
Reaction from the Bayern camp:
Hansi Flick: "A lot of things happened in the first half. We didn't defend well. Bielefeld did well and scored two goals from two chances. On top of that, the pitch wasn't ideal for our game. Bielefeld showed that they can play football. I liked that. We had to replace some players, but the mentality in the second half was sensational. It's important to have the belief that you can still turn the game around even when you're 2-0 down. To come back like this after the long trip and lots of games, I see it as very positive. The bottom line is that we must and can be satisfied with a point."
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: "In general it was a difficult game. Besides the weather, the Bielefeld team were very aggressive. It was difficult to create chances in the first half. Bielefeld had two chances, were very effective and then it's all the more difficult. We showed fighting spirit and a strong mentality, which is also a quality [needed in football matches]. There are games like that. All in all, a 3-3 draw is okay, even if we do want to win all our home matches."
Reaction from the Bielefeld camp:
Uwe Neuhaus (Arminia Bielefeld head coach): "Of course we're happy with a point. The way the game went was very positive for us. In the first half, we kept our shape well and were eager to counter attack. Consequently, we led 2-0 at the break. After they halved the deficit we found the perfect response. Then we had hope. Everyone knows the quality of Bayern's team, and they then stepped it up another gear. We did everything we could to get over the line, but they kept putting more and more pressure on us."
Fabian Klos (Arminia Bielefeld): "Bayern are an incredible team. The snow suited us in the first half. It was easier for us then, we defended better. When the snow went, it became more difficult for us. It was on a knife edge. We should have put a little more pressure on the man in possession."
The match report:
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