FC Bayern Munich made no mistake in their opening game of the DFB-Pokal. The record champions overcame Bremer SV 12-0 at the Weserstadion to book their place in the second round. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann spoke after the win about the performances of Germany internationals Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala.
Question: Julian, what do you have to say on the game?
Julian Nagelsmann: I think that as the underdog, you’re always hoping a little bit that the Bundesliga team doesn’t take the game too seriously or switches off after two or three goals, so you can get a goal for yourselves and give the fans some belief to get behind you. My team didn’t let that happen, so I’m pleased in that regard. They defended seriously and tried to score goals right until the end of the game. The first ten minutes weren’t too good and we conceded a few counter attacks. In the second half, we were much more potent. Even given the result, I hope the game was a nice experience for both teams in this stadium and in front of these fans.
Question: You mention the good start in the second half. Your team scored in the 47th and 49th minutes to increase the lead to 7-0. What did you say to your players at half time?
Nagelsmann: During the break I actually just spoke about our defensive shape when in possession, because during the first half we allowed too much space. As a result, we had to cover a lot of distance at times. That doesn’t have anything to do with the opposition; we had a similar situation against 1. FC Cologne. With a better structure, like we had in the second half, you can reduce those distances. Doing so, we created more pressure and that’s how you force the opposition into mistakes. You don’t have to create everything yourself, but rather press the opponent and win possession. That worked well for us.
Question: What will you and your team take from the game?
Nagelsmann: The next round – that’s the most important thing. (laughs) It’s not a surprise that we’ve won the game. It’s never a great situation when you play against a big underdog as a Bundesliga side, whether the opposition is in the second division or the fifth. Nobody gives you much credit when you win, but if you concede two or three goals, or have an unconvincing performance, it’s a big deal, even if you still win. We’ve avoided that. The way that we played here despite our tight schedule, wasn’t easy. That’s what we can take from the game.
Question: A lot has been said and written about Leroy Sané recently, after he was substituted after 45 minutes in the game against Köln. How pleased are you with him today?
Nagelsmann: I’m very pleased. Leroy was incredibly committed, defended well and scored his goal. I think he could have scored another three or four if he had received some square balls. He was always in good positions. Sometimes you always want to highlight him for not going to his maximum, but today he was very involved and gave his all, so I’m really pleased.
Question: Jamal Musiala had a good game, scoring two goals. Have you ever seen an 18-year-old as good as him?
Nagelsmann: I don’t think so, at least in my own team. Generally speaking, there are a few very good 18-year-olds, such as Pedri at Barcelona, for example. On Jamal, he’s incredibly good with the ball, but I’ll also say that there’s much more to come from him. He still has a lot of potential that we can help him realise. What he does with the ball at his feet, he must have a magnet somewhere inside him. The ball just keeps coming back to him. He has some great qualities, there’s no question about that. He is a very, very talented 18-year-old.
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FC Bayern Munich made no mistake in their opening game of the DFB-Pokal. The record champions overcame Bremer SV 12-0 at the Weserstadion to book their place in the second round. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann spoke after the win about the performances of Germany internationals Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala.
Question: Julian, what do you have to say on the game?
Julian Nagelsmann: I think that as the underdog, you’re always hoping a little bit that the Bundesliga team doesn’t take the game too seriously or switches off after two or three goals, so you can get a goal for yourselves and give the fans some belief to get behind you. My team didn’t let that happen, so I’m pleased in that regard. They defended seriously and tried to score goals right until the end of the game. The first ten minutes weren’t too good and we conceded a few counter attacks. In the second half, we were much more potent. Even given the result, I hope the game was a nice experience for both teams in this stadium and in front of these fans.
Question: You mention the good start in the second half. Your team scored in the 47th and 49th minutes to increase the lead to 7-0. What did you say to your players at half time?
Nagelsmann: During the break I actually just spoke about our defensive shape when in possession, because during the first half we allowed too much space. As a result, we had to cover a lot of distance at times. That doesn’t have anything to do with the opposition; we had a similar situation against 1. FC Cologne. With a better structure, like we had in the second half, you can reduce those distances. Doing so, we created more pressure and that’s how you force the opposition into mistakes. You don’t have to create everything yourself, but rather press the opponent and win possession. That worked well for us.
Question: What will you and your team take from the game?
Nagelsmann: The next round – that’s the most important thing. (laughs) It’s not a surprise that we’ve won the game. It’s never a great situation when you play against a big underdog as a Bundesliga side, whether the opposition is in the second division or the fifth. Nobody gives you much credit when you win, but if you concede two or three goals, or have an unconvincing performance, it’s a big deal, even if you still win. We’ve avoided that. The way that we played here despite our tight schedule, wasn’t easy. That’s what we can take from the game.
Question: A lot has been said and written about Leroy Sané recently, after he was substituted after 45 minutes in the game against Köln. How pleased are you with him today?
Nagelsmann: I’m very pleased. Leroy was incredibly committed, defended well and scored his goal. I think he could have scored another three or four if he had received some square balls. He was always in good positions. Sometimes you always want to highlight him for not going to his maximum, but today he was very involved and gave his all, so I’m really pleased.
Question: Jamal Musiala had a good game, scoring two goals. Have you ever seen an 18-year-old as good as him?
Nagelsmann: I don’t think so, at least in my own team. Generally speaking, there are a few very good 18-year-olds, such as Pedri at Barcelona, for example. On Jamal, he’s incredibly good with the ball, but I’ll also say that there’s much more to come from him. He still has a lot of potential that we can help him realise. What he does with the ball at his feet, he must have a magnet somewhere inside him. The ball just keeps coming back to him. He has some great qualities, there’s no question about that. He is a very, very talented 18-year-old.
