"It was important for us to get off to a good start in the final knockings of the season," said Manuel Neuer. Coach Julian Nagelsmann's team did just that with a commanding 4-1 away win at SC Freiburg on MD28 in the Bundesliga. In addition to the victory, there was also good news for Leon Goretzka, who made his comeback after a four-month injury layoff and scored the all-important opening goal of the game: "That takes a lot of weight off my shoulders. I am overjoyed," said FCB's number eight. Nagelsmann was also satisfied. "Overall, it was a good game. I think we deserved to win," the coach concluded. fcbayern.com has reaction from both camps here.
Reaction from the Bayern camp:
Julian Nagelsmann: "We had good control of the first 20 minutes, but didn't have any chances to score. Freiburg defended deep and did well. Then we lost a bit of control and Freiburg had some good counterattacks. In the second half, we regained control. I'm especially happy for Leon, he did well the whole game. We coped well with their equaliser and then scored our goals. I think we deserved to win. I told the boys in the hotel that every minute counts on the way to league titles that we can, and want, to win. They made every minute count today and I'm satisfied."
Manuel Neuer: "That was a clear mark set even with the result. It was important for us to start well in the final bit of the season. We created many chances and scored good goals. We did a great job. In the end, we brought it home in a calm manner. It was a nice away win for us. Of course, we are all happy that Leon is back. Very few players in his position are like him, with his dynamism and athleticism. That's why we're happy that he's back."
Thomas Müller: "It was really fun on the pitch. The atmosphere in the stadium was great, and we have to congratulate Freiburg for that. Freiburg made it difficult for us, especially in the first half. But we played well. We were patient and determined. We reacted well to the setback at 1-1, so we are satisfied."
Leon Goretzka: "Our fans made it a great atmosphere. I already had goose bumps when I was warming up. When I scored, running into the corner was a moment I'd been waiting for for a long time. It took a lot of pressure off. I'm overjoyed. We won the game, I scored, played from the start. It's been a difficult time recently because there's been a lot of hope and disappointment along the way. It's extremely rewarding when you can score the opening goal of the game and celebrate with your fans. That really gave me goosebumps."
Reaction from the Freiburg camp:
Christian Streich (SC Freiburg's head coach): "We decided that we wanted to keep the spaces down to a minimal in our own half. We did that well for a long time. Especially the first half was good. Unfortunately, we weren't as precise in our finishing. After half-time, Bayern showed us all their quality. The decisive moment was certainly the goal that made it 2-1. The result is not good, but I'm still satisfied with the performance."
Jochen Saier (Sporting Director, SC Freiburg): "All in all, a tough afternoon. I think we were really good in the game and then fell behind in two moments. The scoreline was then probably a bit too high all things considered."
Goretzka makes his long-awaited comeback:
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