Bundesliga
Coutinho: "All games in the Bundesliga are difficult"
Bayern Munich midfielder Philippe Coutinho was relieved to help his side come through a testing afternoon against promoted Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon.
Coutinho played 86 minutes as Bayern ran out 2-1 winners against the capital club upstarts, who might have made an uncomfortable afternoon for the Reds decidedly more so had they converted each of the penalties they were awarded at the Allianz Arena, with Manuel Neuer's save from 12 yards proving crucial.
The final whistle brought an element of relief for the Bavarians, who climbed back to the top of the table - for the time being - and got back to winning ways after dropping two points at neighbouring Augsburg last weekend, with Robert Lewandowski making history by scoring for the ninth game in a row.
Watch: Coutinho: "Every game is tough in the Bundesliga"
The standings are as tight as ever - just two points separated the top nine teams before play on Saturday - and Coutinho welcomes the tough competition he faces on a weekly basis.
"All games and teams in the Bundesliga are difficult; we always have to fight until the end," the 27-year-old told bundesliga.com. "Today the team fought until the end. We were calm when we had the ball. We also know that we can improve our game, that’s obvious, but I leave here today with a good feeling."
Neutral observers might have expected a handsome home win for Niko Kovac's men, and that the result did not follow that script reinforces the view that the Bundesliga is seriously competitive this term. For Coutinho, that's precisely the type of high pressure situation in which he hopes to thrive.
Watch: Delve deep into Coutinho's roots