Manuel Neuer satisfied with Bayern Munich’s victory over FC Barcelona in the Champions League

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer was extremely happy to see his squad fight through some tough times in the first half to captured a 2-0 victory over FC Barcelona in the Champions League.

“Definitely a good second half, it was very convincing. In the beginning it was a bit more tough, so maybe we got lucky in a couple of situations. But we wanted the win more today, especially in the second half,” said Neuer (as captured by Tz). “Yes, let me say we played with more conviction and a little more courageously. In the first half it was a bit of groping.”

Neuer credited his defense for a strong showing.

“Basically, it was a good defensive performance. You can’t always defend everything away, which is why Barça created chances in the first half, but for me, the performance of our central defenders was also decisive,” Neuer said. “(Nagelsmann) said he was satisfied with our performance and the second half. We wanted the three points more than Barcelona.”

Neuer also commented on the issues that had arisen through the media regarding Julian Nagelsmann’s rotation. After Leon Goretzka spoke about the team’s depth, Neuer also gave his take.

”I definitely agree with (Goretzka). We have a very good squad with a lot of players who can be in the starting XI. So we have a lot of competition within the team,” Neuer said. “There was a lot of talk about the rotation, it was also made a topic in the media. I think we have a good squad for that. Everyone has the right and the quality to play. Accordingly, it is also important right now, if someone is absent or if there are English weeks, to be there for games like the one against Augsburg.”

Interested in a more detailed preview of the game? Then why not check out the latest episode of our podcast? We did a breakdown of Bayern’s struggles in recent week, plus a look at Xavi’s setup and Nagelsmann’s options to counter. Listen to it below or at this link.