Pep Guardiola buoyed by Bayern Munich spirit in win over Juventus
Thursday 17 March 2016 00:04, UK
Pep Guardiola praised the spirit of his Bayern Munich team after seeing them come back from 2-0 down in the closing stages to beat Juventus to a Champions League quarter-final place.
The Germans scored twice in the last 16 minutes through Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller to force extra-time with a 2-2 draw after the same score in the first leg.
Thiago and Kingsley Coman then struck two minutes apart to complete a remarkable turnaround as Bayern won 4-2 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.
They go into Friday's last-eight draw as a team to be wary of and Guardiola was encouraged by the manner of his side's success.
The Spaniard, who will take charge of Manchester City in the summer, said: "To score four times against an Italian team when you trail 2-0 is a big deal.
"It was a great game for everyone. We played last season's finalists and we knew they are a great team."
Bayern captain Philipp Lahm believes the way his side dug in to get a result they looked hugely unlikely to obtain at the midway point of the regulation 90 minutes strengthens their bond.
The 2014 World Cup-winning Germany captain added: "This win brings us closer together, it welds us together.
"It was important to see that everyone, everyone on the bench was pushing us. We need the whole squad, every player of the team if we are to be successful."
