Bayern show steel to underline CL credentials

MADRIDL: Bayern Munich strengthened their ⁠case as Champions League (CL) contenders with Tuesday's 2-0 victory at Atletico Madrid, combining ​defensive discipline with clinical ​finishing at the stadium that will host the final in June.
Facing a determined Diego Simeone side and a partisan crowd, the Bundesliga champions produced a controlled performance despite missing several attacking players and manager Vincent Kompany, who is recovering after collapsing at training.
Bayern had drawn ⁠2-2 with Arsenal and 3-3 against Viking in their previous two European ⁠matches, leaving victory important to their prospects of finishing in the top eight of the league phase and qualifying directly for the last 16.
Last season's semi-finalists Atletico were on ‌a nine-game unbeaten run which included eight ​wins, but struggled ⁠to create clear chances against a compact Bayern defence.
Bayern had ​conceded at least four goals ‌across the two legs in each of their last four Champions League eliminations, but their defensive cohesion allowed ​them to control the game until Lennart Karl capitalised on a Robin Le Normand error to open the scoring.
'The way we defended together as a group to get the clean sheet, we were really pleased with the whole team performance,' Bayern ‌assistant manager Aaron Danks told a press conference.
'Tonight was about the collective ​group, about the spirit of this group, to come together in adversity and ​get ‌a ⁠result in a difficult ground.'
Harry Kane's pass and the power of Konrad Laimer's finish stood out in Bayern's second goal, but it was their coordinated ​pressing that forced Atletico into surrendering possession in a ⁠dangerous area.
Without relying ​on decisive individual performances or fluid attacking play, Bayern kept the Spanish side at bay with relative ease.
Led by Ballon d'Or holder Kane, Bayern possess a squad capable of competing with Europe's leading sides.
Paris St Germain's blend ​of attacking quality and collective discipline has been central to their ​two Champions League triumphs and Bayern showed at the Metropolitano that they also have the cohesion needed to challenge.
 — Reuters