MY ACCOUNT
Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann demanded a much improved performance from his side in their Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
The Bundesliga leaders stretched their unbeaten league run to 13 games on Saturday with a 3-0 win over Bochum thanks to goals from Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry.
Nagelsmann was less than impressed with his side’s display, though, and challenged his players to improve dramatically for the mouth-watering clash in Paris.
“We’re not in the flow,” he told Sky Sport.
“I think if we had played at full throttle, which is fun, and if we moved properly and brought a little enthusiasm onto the field, then I think in the first six minutes we should have led by two or three goals to nil.
“We had huge chances. But that’s a bit like the three games we drew, we lacked the finishing. Overall, it wasn’t a good game from either team.
“In the end, we didn’t show enough life, and we don’t have a super flow now.
“We have to put in an outstanding game in Paris, even if [Kylian] Mbappe might be out, because they’re just a world-class team.
“If we play like that on Tuesday, it won’t be enough to go through.”
Muller’s goal came in his 428th league outing for Bayern, which took him clear of Gerd Muller as the outfield player with the most Bundesliga appearances for the club.
Only goalkeepers Sepp Maier (473) and Oliver Kahn (429) now stand between him and the outright club record.
The 33-year-old’s match ended at half-time when he was replaced by Alphonso Davies, but Nagelsmann said his withdrawal was precautionary.
“He indicated on the way in that he had a bit of a calf problem,” the Bayern boss explained.
“I hope he doesn’t have anything. It’s nothing bad; it was more of a precautionary measure. It was just too much risk for me that he had anything there.”
