Bayern Munich produced their best performance of the season to defeat Real Madrid 2-1 and go through to the last eight of the Champions League on away goals, but coach Ottmar Hitzfeld says his team have a long way to go before their rehabilitation is complete.
“We can be proud that we have beaten them and are now in the quarter-finals but we haven’t achieved anything yet,” Hitzfeld said at his post-match news conference.
“It was a favourable moment for us to play them as we are in better form.
“It’s great to be in the last eight,” he added. “It’s good for the image and prestige of the club and in the last eight a lot is still possible.”
The club’s general manager, Uli Hoeness, believes the match will linger long in the memory.
“It was the best ever game in this stadium,” he said of Bayern’s home for the past two seasons. “This was football at the highest level – the crowd will have gone home happy.”
Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello was left to rue two goals he said his players had gifted Bayern Munich.
“We gave them two presents, Makaay’s goal and Van Bommel’s at the end of the first leg,” Capello told a news conference.
“The early goal (on Wednesday) changed the match completely,” he said. “All our plans and preparation went out of the window.”
Capello said Real Madrid would now concentrate on trying to win the Spanish league title.
They are currently fourth in the standings, six points behind leaders Sevilla, and play second-placed Barcelona this weekend.
“There is only the league now, nothing more,” Capello said. “It is always our aim to try to win the league title.”
