Jan-Christian Dreesen at banquet: 'A fantastic position'

As Bayern arrived at the banquet in their team hotel in Madrid, tired but happy, Jan-Christian Dreesen asked the guests for an extra round of applause. Vincent Kompany and his side had very much earned it after the 2-1 victory in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid. They ended a long drought, as the CEO pointed out. “We’ve won our first game here in 25 years,” he said. “Back then, in 2001, it was Giovane Élber with the goal, and today it was this team with this win.”

It’s put the team in “a fantastic position, which we should be very pleased with” for the second leg in eight days’ time. However, the CEO warned: “We’re only one goal in front. Madrid have the quality to turn these games around, but we also have this quality.” The Bavarians demonstrated what they’re capable of in 90 minutes in the cauldron of Madrid. “The Bernabéu can become a force if you let it,” yet Vincent Kompany prepared his team so well to overcome it in his 100th competitive match as Bayern boss.

The head coach was not the only one who earned special praise from a strong collective performance. “We had something in our performance tonight that Real didn’t have: we had our X factor, our 40-year-old, our world-class goalkeeper. Manuel, you were extraordinary,” said Dreesen in the direction of FCB keeper Manuel Neuer, whose saves helped his team to hold on to victory in the Spanish capital. They should therefore be happy about a successful start, concluded Dreesen, but “only 90 minutes have been played and we have to get through at least another 90 minutes in the second leg”.