Niko Kovac pleased with Bayern Munich’s performance against Hoffenheim
Niko Kovac is confident about Bayern Munich chasing Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga after an impressive start to second half of the season.
The Bundesliga resumed on Friday after a long winter break. However, Bayern Munich showed no signs of rustiness as they clinched a convincing 3-1 victory away at Hoffenheim. The Bavarians have temporarily reduced Borussia Dortmund’s lead at the top to just three points and will no doubt be hoping RB Leipzig help keep it that way with a win later today.
Niko Kovac has been under immense pressure since taking over as Bayern manager this season. The Croatian has finally found a settled lineup and system to extract positive results. Speaking to the press after the game (via Goal), Kovac praised his players for executing their gameplan against Julian Nagelsmann’s side.
"“The first half was sensational. That was our ambition, that’s what we’re able to do. The result is good, we got off to a good start to the second half of the season and increased the pressure.“We’re the hunters, we want to chase Dortmund. We want to chase and seal the championship title. The decisive thing is to be at the top at the end of the season.”"
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The defending champions were devastating on the counter-attack against Hoffenheim. Bayern’s second goal pretty much summed up their enterprise in the final third throughout the game. Leon Goretzka, who scored both the opener and his side’s second of the match, strengthened his place in the starting lineup with a great performance. The German has been playing a deeper role in midfield this season, but showed his immense qualities in the final third with yesterday’s display.
The visitors’ defending on Hoffenheim’s goal was not the best, but it was about the only blip in an otherwise dominant display.
Kovac admitted after the match that Niklas Sule is his first choice center-back, while Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng are fighting for the second spot in the center of defense. The Croatian will be hoping they eventually achieve defensive solidity before their game against Liverpool next month.
Kovac will also be pleased with the many good individual performances in this game. Manuel Neuer showed glimpses of his best form against Hoffenheim by making a tremendous save to deny Hoffenheim a crucial goal. James Rodriguez also showed sharpness in the final third during his brief cameo in the second half. The senior players will be very important in the upcoming months, as they gear up for a busy schedule challenging in three different competitions.
dark. Next. Bayern Munich overcome Hoffenheim in Bundesliga return -- Player grades
This weekend could be huge for the Bundesliga title race. Bayern desperately needed this win, as Borussia Dortmund visit RB Leipzig later today. Kovac is slowly finding his feet at Bayern, and his players are adapting to his methods after a lean spell in October and November. Die Roten will have to go on a long run in order to retain the Bundesliga title, as Dortmund are flying high at the moment.