‘Great to be through with a game to spare’

A deserved 3-0 victory over Steaua Bucharest saw Bayern safely through to the Champions League first knockout round on Tuesday. The German champions dominated their Romanian visitors from the off, before wrapping up the three points after half-time. Coach Jürgen Klinsmann declared himself fully satisfied, and immediately turned his attention to the future: “Now we can dedicate ourselves to the tasks ahead with real confidence and self-belief.“

Reaction to Bayern v Steaua Bucharest

Franz Beckenbauer: “We’re seeing a very different side to this team’s character now. What I liked most was that they concentrated for the full 90 minutes. There’s real consistency now.“

Uli Hoeneß: “We can be very satisfied. We scored some good goals. Slowly but surely, the team’s coming together. They’re in the groove, and we’re regaining our confidence.“

Jürgen Klinsmann: “It was always in the back of our minds not to concede a stupid goal like we did against Cottbus, especially after we missed a string of chances right at the start. At half-time, I was convinced we’d go back out and score, the ball was always going to go in at some point. Then the goals followed one after another. Naturally, we’re extremely satisfied. On the one hand, we’re delighted to be through to the last sixteen with a game to spare, and on the other hand, we’re pleased with the way we played, and the pace we set. Now we can dedicate ourselves to the tasks ahead with real confidence and self-belief.“

Luca Toni: “Franck Ribéry, Miroslav Klose and I make a fantastic trio. We’ve built up a great understanding. That’s the secret here at Bayern. It’s going well, and everything’s worked out for us in the group. It’s really enjoyable at the moment.“

Miroslav Klose: “It’s unbelievably important that we perform up front – and we’re doing that really well as a team right now. We’re getting on a roll, and then you just get into the right positions. We’re fresher again. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but that was certainly pretty good.“

Dorinel Munteanu (Steaua coach): “We made too many mistakes, and you can’t afford that against Bayern. A team as good as this will always punish your mistakes.“