Nagelsmann demands strong finish in Group C after Bayern reach knockout stage

Julian Nagelsmann wants his Bayern Munich players to ensure they top Group C after a 4-2 win over Viktoria Plzen sealed their Champions League progress.

Sadio Mane, Thomas Muller and Leon Goretzka had Bayern 4-0 up by the 35th minute on Wednesday. It is the second-quickest time in Champions League history a side has taken to register four goals away from home, beaten only by their own 7-1 victory over Roma in 2014.

Though Adam Vlkanova and Jan Kliment reduced the arrears in the second half, Bayern held on to record their 11th straight group stage victory, a new competition record.

The win means Bayern are now on 12 points, five above Inter in second and out of reach of third-placed Barcelona, as they qualified for the knockout stages for the 15th consecutive season.

Now, the target is securing top spot, with Nagelsmann telling DAZN: “It’s always nice to win away from home.

“We’ve got 12 points from four games in the toughest group and we’re into the round of 16. Now we want to top the group.

“This win gives us the necessary calm ahead of Freiburg [in the Bundesliga] on Sunday. That was our goal and we achieved it.”

Muller’s cool 14th-minute finish for Bayern’s second means he has now scored more than twice as many goals as any other German player in Champions League history, with Mario Gomez scoring the second most with 26.

However, he made way soon after his strike and headed straight down the tunnel, though Nagelsmann explained there was nothing to worry about, adding: “Things tightened up a little in his back, a nerve.

“It’s nothing major or serious, but we didn’t want to take risks for the weekend.”