Guatemala
El Salvador
Bayern Munich were handed one of the most memorable and toughest Champions League draws in years. Rather than shy away from the challenge, they embraced it — exemplified by CEO Oliver Kahn’s wry smile after Bayern drew FC Barcelona in the same group again.
While the Spanish press tittered over this apparent disrespect, Bayern went out and dominated the group — going a perfect 5-0-0 and clinching first place with one Matchday to spare. That has delighted the team and fans alike.
But lest anybody think this was the sum of Bayern’s ambitions, make no mistake: the Bavarians are just getting started.
“We have 15 points in the toughest group in the Champions League,” said manager Julian Nagelsmann after the 3-0 win over Barcelona in Spain (via @iMiaSanMia). “We’ll try to win the Champions League this season, but we have to keep going. This was the first step, but a lot more steps have to follow to win the title at the end of the season.”
With heroes ranging from the usual suspects like Leroy Sané to the surprise emergences like Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, this Bayern team certainly looks built for the duration of the marathon. As reward, they’ll now have an Inter Milan match they could use to freely experiment or develop youngsters.
And as Jamal Musiala recently said, Bayern have learned their lessons from last season’s upset quarter-final exit to Villareal. If the on-field results are anything to judge by, that’s been the case.
A top team with top mentality and uncompromising standards? There’s just no telling how far they’ll go.
Want more analysis of the game? How did Nagelsmann nullify Xavi and which players stood out? Then why not check out our postgame podcast? Listen to it below or on Spotify.
As always, we appreciate all the support!
