"We knew what to expect: a deep-lying opponent who would've given us space if we'd moved the ball more quickly. But we didn't do that well enough, succumbed to a few counter-attacks and didn't demonstrate our full potential, said new signing Maximilian Philipp following the 1-0 defeat by Atalanta. "With that in mind, the defeat's a fair result."

Speaking to Eurosport, the U21 European champion was also critical of his own performance: "I played badly, too. I know that I can do better. We need to leave it behind us now and play better the next time."

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The team will go into Saturday's clash with Bayern with fresher legs. So there's plenty for Maximilian Philipp to look forward to. "I'm excited about the first night in my flat in Dortmund, the season opening on Friday and the Super Cup on Saturday," he said. (br)