Bayern's 'hard-fought and valuable' win in Copenhagen

When the exhausted Bayern players arrived at their team hotel after an energy-sapping Champions League evening, they were greeted with warm applause. Thomas Tuchel's team had earned the respect of the guests present at the post-match banquet with a courageous performance. Previously, so-called underdogs Copenhagen had pushed the men from Munich all the way, and it was only thanks to great resilience and individual strokes of genius that the Reds posted an important 2-1 away win.

Dreesen: "Not an easy game"

"The most important thing is that we won. I want to praise the team for that," said CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen in his opening speech: "It was by no means an easy game. We fought hard for it. Copenhagen ran as if their lives depended on it, they didn't make it easy for us, so the victory today is all the more valuable."

Bayern knew beforehand how difficult it would be to take home the three points from Copenhagen. The last team to win away in the Danish capital in the Champions League were Real Madrid in 2013. Now Bayern have emulated the Spaniards, mainly thanks to great determination. "They didn't lose a game here last year. They know what they're doing and they let us feel it," Thomas Müller summarised.

It was the Bavarian original himself who supplied the evening with its decisive moment. After Jamal Musiala had scored the 67th-minute equaliser with a piece of outstanding individual skill against the courageous home side, the 34-year-old Müller delivered the next stroke of genius and, despite a swarm of defenders blocking his path, set up Mathys Tel for the winning goal in the 83rd minute. "It went well at the end," Müller observed, but he remained modest in his assessment. "For me personally, of course, it's particularly satisfying having a hand in the goal after coming on as a sub."

Praise for Müller and Ulreich

The veteran received special praise from his coach: "Thomas was eager to play and turn the game around," said Tuchel. Of course, the 50-year-old also knew that Müller was not the only one he needed to thank for the important victory. In particular, Sven Ulreich earned a special mention for his outstanding reflex save in added time to prevent the home side levelling at the death: "He pulled that off sensationally at the end," marvelled the coach. CEO Dreesen was also thrilled with the save and thanked the keeper: "As a goalkeeper, it's not always easy - today you saved us - thank you!"

Bayern have thus laid a good early foundation for progressing to the knockout phase: "We lead the group with six points. We can look ahead with optimism," Dreesen continued: "Next up is the game in Istanbul. Hopefully we'll rock the place there, too."

Freiburg up next

But before the next outing in the continent's elite club competition, the record champions return to the bread and butter of the Bundesliga.  Freiburg are due at the Allianz Arena on Sunday, when FCB will aim to build on the midweek victory with another win in the domestic league. To do so, however, Munich will probably have to reprise the great morale and desire shown in the second half in Copenhagen. As so often, Müller put it in a nutshell: "We'll take the three points with us and then hopefully see the lessons we've learned on Sunday."

Reaction to the game in Copenhagen: