Football
Mark Lovell, Bayern Munich blogger 6y

Jupp Heynckes hails Corentin Tolisso's finishing, team mentality in PSG win

Jupp Heynckes gave Corentin Tolisso high marks after Bayern Munich's record signing outshone Neymar with two goals in the 3-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Robert Lewandowski fired Bayern ahead in the eighth minute with a cute finish from close range, before Tolisso, who joined the German champions from Lyon in the summer for €41 million, doubled the lead with a powerful header from an exquisite cross from James Rodriguez on 37 minutes.

PSG improved markedly after the break and reduced the arrears on 50 minutes through the impressive 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe. However, Neymar, who had found the net in every group game until tonight, could not find a way past an outstanding Sven Ulreich in goal. Bayern's backup goalkeeper produced a string of fantastic saves in each half to keep big-spending PSG at bay.

And Tolisso put the result beyond doubt on 69 minutes, slamming home his second goal after taking advantage of fine work from compatriot Kingsley Coman on the left.

Heynckes' ninth Champions League win in succession gives the German champions a semblance of revenge for the 3-0 defeat in September, which prompted the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti, with 72-year-old Heynckes arriving for a fourth term in charge in early October to replace the Italian.

"Coco Tolisso has shown in recent weeks that he is dangerous in front of goal. Furthermore he is a very good team player, with a great engine and strong in the tackle," Heynckes said at the postmatch news conference.

"We played very cleverly and put into action our game plan. Tactically we were very good and allowed PSG very few counter-attacks. That was the key to our win.

"We are getting better and better; the team now believes in itself and can now compensate for injuries. I am pleased with the performance of the whole team but especially so with the French players.

"Franck Ribery is fit again and performed very well considering he's been out for so long with injury.

"Kingsley [Coman] is improving all the time, keeping his composure when he breaks free with better passing and crossing. That is all a product of our intensive work on the training pitch."

Despite the convincing win on home soil, Bayern finish behind the Ligue 1 leaders in the group on goal difference.

However, Heynckes felt his side had stamped their Champions League credentials with the success over PSG.

"Bayern has a great history in European competition and today's game showed that we are competitive and that we also have ambitions to win the Champions League," he said.

^ Back to Top ^