
It was late on Tuesday, 1 November, around 23:30 in the bowels of the Allianz Arena when head coach Julian Nagelsmann took to the stage in the press room in front of the gathered journalists and smiled. It wasn’t a beaming smile but definitely a happy one that many could understand.
“It’s always nice when you win,” Nagelsmann said after a convincing 2-0 triumph over Inter Milan to round off the Champions League group stage. It was the sixth victory in as many games in a section consisting of Barcelona, Inter and Viktoria Plzen that had been referred to beforehand as the ‘group of death’.
Impressive record

It was the third time in history that Bayern had recorded a perfect group stage – a feat no other team has ever achieved in the Champions League. A haul of 18 points with 18 goals scored. And they only conceded twice, but not against Inter or Barca, but against Plzen in a period of the game where things were already pretty much wrapped up for FCB.
The team also set two impressive new records this season. They are now unbeaten in their last 34 group fixtures (W31, D3) and have scored in every single one of them. Bayern’s 13 straight wins in group games is also a new competition record.
Message to the competition
The Bavarians‘ first win over Barcelona also made them the only team ever to have opened a Champions League group stage with two victories in 14 separate campaigns.
The excellent performances in the Champions League were once again a message to the competition and a sign of the team’s ambitions this season.

However, everyone is aware after the experiences of the last two years that all that means very little going into the knockout stage, but there is strong confidence going into the last-16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain on 14 February and 8 March. “We want to take the momentum into the new year,” said Nagelsmann. “It was the first step but there needs to be many more.”
CEO Oliver Kahn also stressed: “We still have big things ahead of us.”
But it doesn’t hurt right now to look back on some great moments like the brilliant 3-0 win at the Camp Nou with goals from Sadio Mane, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Benjamin Pavard. A little festive treat for you.

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