FC Bayern put down another marker with a 5-1 win in Leipzig. Aleksandar Pavlovic and Jonathan Tah explained after the game why falling behind is not a problem for this team and how crucial the coach’s confidence was.
With an impressive second-half performance, FC Bayern turned around the top game at RB Leipzig and maintained their top position in the Bundesliga. For the first time this season, the record champions were behind in the league at the break. It was the second away win after falling behind in three days, first Cologne, now Leipzig.
Speaking to Sky after the game, Aleksandar Pavlovic was visibly satisfied and confident. „I knew we would turn the game around,“ explained the 21-year-old, who scored himself to make it 4:1 at the interval. The defensive midfielder added: „That’s how we are. We never give up.“
As has often been the case this season, Munich responded to a weak first half with a huge improvement in performance. According to Pavlovic, this was also due to clear words from coach Vincent Kompany at the break. „The coach told us at half-time that we could play much better, that we had to be more aggressive and play forward. That’s what we did. It was great and we’re happy.“
Confidence instead of changes pays off
It was precisely the coach’s decision not to make any major changes that proved effective in retrospect. Although Bayern were behind at the break, Kompany did not make any changes to his personnel apart from the Goretzka substitution due to injury. A sign that captain Manuel Neuer also consciously registered. In an interview with Sky after the game, the 39-year-old emphasised: „Simply confidence. Confidence in the players.“
Neuer prevented a potential equalizer with a strong save. After the final whistle, he particularly highlighted the running performance: „We ran six kilometers more in the second half. And that shows that the will, the motivation was there.“
Tah praises calm speech and scores himself
Jonathan Tah also spoke about the turning point of the game after the final whistle. „We didn’t get off to a good start in the first half. We lacked rhythm. We weren’t aggressive enough defensively and we weren’t good with the ball either,“ said the centre-back after the game.
However, it wasn’t just the tactical change that was decisive, but also the atmosphere in the dressing room. „The coach wasn’t loud at half-time. He simply told us not to be hectic and that we could turn the game around. We were then much better in the second half and deserved to win the game.“ Tah rewarded himself in the 82nd minute with the goal that made it 3:1.