Gomez calls on Bayern to improve

Bayern Munich’s Mario Gomez said his side were ‘hesitant’ in their shock 1-0 loss in the Champions League to Basel on Wednesday.

Speaking after the loss in Switzerland, Gomez said he was stunned at their failure to at least earn a draw in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.

“You could see today that the players were too hesitant on the pitch,” Gomez told Goal.com.

“We can still enjoy a successful season, but we have to improve a lot.”

“I’m standing here and I don’t know what to say. We have messed up the away match.”

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer took a similar stance on the defeat, admitting his side find themselves in a ‘difficult situation’ going into the second leg in three weeks’ time.

“(The result) is not what we wanted. We wanted to show we could adapt to a different environment but that hasn’t worked out,” Neuer said.

“We find ourselves in a difficult situation. Who knows what would have happened if we went 1-0 up in the first half.”

“It would have been a lot easier for us but if it (the second leg) stays 0-0 for a long time and the opponent is well-organised defensively, it’s bound to be tough for us.”

Bayern-bound Basel player Xherdan Shaqiri also revealed he was able to ‘ignore the hype’ around his impending move to the Bundesliga giants while on the pitch, and that the victory was an ‘achievement of the team’.