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'We belong with favourites' - Hitzfeld

Ottmar Hitzfeld has shrugged off the fact that FC Bayern München finished second in Group A.

FC Bayern München coach Ottmar Hitzfeld shrugged off the fact that the German and European champions finished in second place in UEFA Champions League Group A to Manchester United FC after the Bavarians' 2-1 defeat of FC Nantes Atlantique.

United rivarly undimmed
Bayern needed United to either draw or lose in their game with Boavista FC, but Sir Alex Ferguson's side proved rather less obliging, romping home to a 3-0 win in Porto. United's 1-1 draw with Bayern in the Olympiastadion before Christmas ensured that the English champions topped Group A and will face one of the other teams that finished runners-up in the quarter-finals.

Bayern confident
That also means that Bayern are likely to face a much tougher draw in the last eight as well as having to play the first leg at home. "I don't care if we play [FC] Barcelona, Real Madrid [CF] or any other team because every other opponent will be very difficult," said Hitzfeld as he reflected on his side's extension of their 18-match unbeaten Champions League run.

Long-standing record
The Bayern coach also paid credit to the stiff resistance offered by Nantes. After Hassan Ahamada had given the French club the lead, Nantes suggested for four minutes, at least before Jens Jeremies' 58th minute equaliser, that they might end Bayern's long-standing record. "We did not have much space today because the French played very well in defence," admitted Hitzfeld. "We are happy to be through and we belong with the favourites."

Saviour Salihamidzic
The man who finally unlocked the Nantes defence was second-half substitute Hasan Salihamidzic, who was returning to the Bayern side after a four-month lay-off with a torn cruciate ligament injury. Hitzfeld described the Bosnia-Herzegovnian's contribution - Salihamidzic supplied the cross for Claudio Pizarro's winning goal three minutes from the end - as "decisive". Salihamidzic also won a penalty which Pizarro missed and throughout the second period provided the drive and verve that had been so absent from Bayern's play in the first period.

Nantes upbeat
Nantes coach Angel Marcos believed his team could return to their struggle to stay in Le Championnat with their heads held high. Given that Marcos awarded Löic Paillères and Jérémy Toulalan their full debuts, Nantes gave Bayern an uncomfortable night. "We had a very young team on the pitch," said Marcos. "If you take that in regard we presented a very good game."

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