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
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