30th November, 2013
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola admitted the European champions were just happy to see off Eintracht Braunschweig 2-0 and extend their record Bundesliga run ahead of a busy December.
Bayern’s victory at Munich’s Allianz Arena was down to Dutch winger Arjen Robben’s first-half brace as the Bavarians ran out of steam in the second-half.
The three points extended Bayern’s record unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to 39 matches and came just four days after they set the record of 10 consecutive Champions League victories by beating CSKA Moscow in Russia.
“It’s one game more and we won,” said Guardiola.
“We dominated possession and, in the first half, we were very strong mentally after (last Saturday’s 3-0 win at) Dortmund and the trip to Moscow.
“In the second half we didn’t manage to bring (striker) Mario Mandzukic into the game, but at the end, I am happy with the performance.”
But Bayern were lacklustre in the second-half against bottom side Braunschweig, who have never won in Munich.
“We are human beings and not machines,” said goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, while midfielder Toni Kroos added: “sometimes it’s okay if you just win the game.”
Having played in sub-zero temperatures in Moscow on Wednesday, match-winner Robben was just glad to play on a normal pitch after wet snow had made conditions tough on CSKA’s heavy pitch.
“That was a hard game in Moscow, including the travel,” said the 29-year-old.
“When you come back here and play on a good pitch, it’s simply fun.”
Bayern host Bavarian neighbours Augsburg in the third round of the German Cup on Wednesday, then travel to Werder Bremen in the league on Saturday before hosting Manchester City in the Champions League on December 10.
After hosting Hamburg, Bayern then travel to Morocco for the Club World Cup in a bid to win their second piece of silverware under Guardiola, having won the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea in August.
Borussia Dortmund picked up their first victory in three league games with a hard-fought 3-1 win at ten-man Mainz 05 to stay third behind second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern.
Borussia, who must win in Marseille in a fortnight to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, can reclaim second place in the Bundesliga if they beat Leverkusen in Dortmund next Saturday.
Dortmund took the lead on 70 minutes in Mainz when Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired home a superb free-kick, only for Cameroon’s Eric Choupo-Moting to equalise with a penalty four minutes later.
Mainz were reduced to 10 men when Colombia’s Elkin Soto was sent off for using his hand to stop the ball going into the net and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski fired home the first of two penalties.
“You have to evaluate the win in the context of our situation,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, who lost his entire back four ten days ago through injury.
“We showed a very, very good fighting spirit.
“The fact that in certain situations our opponents had their chances to win the game says everything about Mainz’s class.”