Heynckes hungry for treble after Bayern Munich devour Besiktas

Date: 15th March 2018 at 12:56am
Written by:

Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes said his side were hungry to complete a treble this season after they thrashed Turkey’s Besiktas 8-1 on aggregate to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Bayern eased past Besiktas 3-1 in the second leg to complete a resounding victory, a record 11th straight in the competition for Heynckes, who led Bayern to the title in 2013 before retiring and returning this season.

Heynckes, who commended Besiktas and their fans, said it had been far from straightforward for his team despite the aggregate score.

“Even though the first match was 5-0, it was not easy. It is normal for the team to relax from time to time and now show the desired performance, but we scored eight goals in two games of the round of 16 and this shows how good a team we are,” Heynckes told reporters via a translator.

Heynckes, who said he had no preference for his side’s next opponents with the quarter-final draw on Friday, is now targeting a treble with Bayern on course to wrap up the Bundesliga title having also reached the German Cup semi-finals.

“Of course we are hungry (to complete a treble). We want the Champions League, we are very determined, and we also want the German Cup. However, we need to first focus on the target ahead of us,” he said.

Bayern could secure their sixth consecutive Bundesliga title at the weekend.

The only negative for Heynckes on Wednesday was an injury suffered by midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who was taken off early with a suspected ankle problem.

“If his injury is serious, that would be very upsetting for us, but I am always optimistic and I hope it is not too serious,” he said.

Besiktas manager Senol Gunes praised Bayern, while criticising his players for making “costly mistakes”.

He said his side would focus on Sunday’s match against rivals Istanbul Basaksehir and their Turkish cup clash against bitter foes Fenerbahce.

 

Comments are closed.