Mandzukic hails Bayern team spirit
Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic is pleased with the strong team ethic present at the side and considers it to be integral to their success this year.
By FOX Sports Staff
The Croatian striker scored two goals as Bayern defeated Mainz 3-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday. They did have to work for the result, though, as Mainz did their best with some diligent marking and effective pressing and the outcome was far from certain at the end of the first half.
Luckily for the Bavarian side, Thomas Muller opened the scoring in the 41st minute and that seemed to have unravelled their opponents on the day. Mandzukic made sure of the three points with two well-taken goals after the break as well.
Mandzukic's brace over the weekend also made him the topscorer in the Bundesliga with 14 goals to his name. But the striker does not believe that Bayern's good form this season has been due to individual exploits but instead chalks it down to the efforts of the team as a whole.
"We're doing what we did so well in the first half of the season: we're playing as a team, we go out onto the field and fight, and we know we have the quality," he told the club website.
"The important thing is that each man is there for the others.
"I think that shows we're a very good unit."
Coach Jupp Heynckes, on the other hand, credited the good work done in preparation for the weekend fixture as having been instrumental.
"We prepared extremely thoroughly," Heynckes stated.
"The team put our plan into action very well.
"That was a very important victory on the road to the title.
"That was a very important victory on the road to the German championship title."
The result sees Bayern go 14 points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen who play German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund later on Sunday.