Bayern Munich's Mats Hummels targets Hannover response after Nuremberg "blip"
Mats Hummels admits Bayern Munich weren't up to their usual standard in their 1-1 draw with Nuremberg, but is confident the league leaders can take another step to defending their Bundesliga title with a win against rock-bottom Hannover on Saturday.
Bayern have the relative comfort of a two-point cushion on second-placed Borussia Dortmund going into the final three games of the season, though that margin would have been greater had the record champions not slipped up in the Bavarian derby, 24 hours after BVB lost 4-2 to Schalke.
"Obviously we'd have liked to extend our lead to four points, but the fact is we didn't play well," Hummels told kicker after Bayern fought back from a goal down and survived a late scare as Nuremberg's Tim Leibold struck a last-minute penalty against a post.
"We hit the woodwork twice, but Nuremberg had chances at 1-0 and missed a penalty, so we have to accept the point.
"We're better of in terms off points than we were - which no one saw coming at the start of the weekend - but it wasn't our expected level, and we didn't deserve to win."
Despite Hummels' obvious dissatisfaction with the performance at the Max-Morlock Stadion, Bayern remain in pole position to claim a seventh successive Bundesliga title. They are unbeaten in their last 11 league matches and, thanks to their vastly superior goal difference compared to Dortmund's, will be crowned champions if they take seven points from the nine on offer in their remaining fixtures against Hannover (h), RB Leipzig (a) and Eintracht Frankfurt (a).
However, if Bayern beat Hannover and Dortmund lose away to Werder Bremen this weekend, Niko Kovac's pacesetters will need just a point from their final two games in order to clinch the Bundesliga title for the 28th time. Not that Hummels is contemplating any such shortcuts in the race to claim German club football's top prize.
"We need seven points to be champions - that's the objective for us," affirmed the former Germany defender. "We'll try to not leave anything out there against Hannover in order to show the Nuremberg game was just a blip. Then we'll just have to see what the situation at the top of the table looks like over the next few weeks."
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