"It's also about bragging rights in Germany and of course you want to have them," said Leon Goretzka, talking about the significance of a 3-2 win against Borussia Dortmund. With the win, FC Bayern extended their lead at the top of the table to four points. FCB's coaches and players were naturally in good spirits after the game. Despite the significance of the win, Julian Nagelsmann made it clear: "Of course we're not over the line by any stretch, but they were important points." fcbayern.com has reaction from both camps after the game.
Reaction from the Bayern camp:
Julian Nagelsmann: "In the end, we deserved to win. Of course we're not over the line by any stretch, but these were important points. We didn't get off to such a good start, but then we were very good and had a lot of chances. Of course Dortmund were dangerous on the counter, but, with the exception of one of their goals, we had that element of their game under control. That's why we had to be ahead at half-time. In the second half, we didn't get off to a good start again, but we regained our composure and controlled the game well."
Thomas Müller: "We were much better in the first half than in the second half. Dortmund going 1-0 up meant that they didn't disturb our build-up play, which meant that we found spaces between the lines fairly easily. Of course, in the end the goals came from individuals, but we also won the ball back and made some good moves two or three times, which is why we should have led by more in the first half. In the second half, I'm not sure our play deserved it, but our commitment and fight was there. In the end, it's harsh that a decision like that decides the game. I can understand their frustration and anger."
Robert Lewandowski: "It was a very interesting game for the fans. It wasn't a perfect game, we also made a few mistakes, especially in the 20 minutes after the interval. But in the end, all that counts is that we got a deserved win. We have personnel problems at the moment, but all the players on the pitch showed the quality they have."
Leon Goretzka: "Of course it was about more than just three points today, these games are always very special. It's also about the bragging rights in Germany, and of course you want to have them."
Reaction from the Dortmund camp:
Marco Rose (Borussia Dortmund head coach): "It's just a shame that this kind of game is decided the way it has been at the end. I think the game deserved a different way of separating the two sides. The game was a contest between two great teams, both with a lot of desire to win, a lot of attacking verve and an open view of the pitch. I don't think it was always the best football either side have ever played, but there was a spark in the game and both teams had good moments."
Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund captain): "It was an incredibly crazy game, an awesome game for the fans. There were lots of spaces for us to exploit in the first half, but we didn't use them well enough. We had three, four, even five chances that we could have done better with. In the second half we made it 2-2 and we always had the feeling that we could still win the game; and then we got punished."
Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund): "It was a good game of football from both sides. I think it was a very open game. In the end, a penalty decided the game and that's a shame."
The match report:
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