Bayern manager Hansi Flick lavishes praise on 'insane professional' Manuel Neuer

Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick paid a glowing tribute to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after his heroics in Wednesday's 3-1 Champions League win over Red Bull Salzburg.

The result means Bayern have won all four of their Group A games and qualify for the knockout stages with two games yet to play.

Robert Lewandowski's opener marked his 71st goal in Europe's top competition but the victory was built on a battling rearguard performance, with 34-year-old Neuer making ten saves to keep out the Austrian side.

The most eye-catching was a superb double stop to deny Mergim Berisha and Enock Mwepu, and Flick paid tribute to the giant 96-cap German international between the sticks.

He told Sky Sports: 'Manu has been playing sensationally for over a year. With him, the goal for the striker is getting smaller and smaller.

'He is in the form of his life. He is an insane professional and very focused on his job.

'We made our way a little difficult because we lost a lot of balls - the ball losses must not happen like this.

'That is insecurity and recklessness. Of course, we have personnel problems at the moment.

'It got better in the second half. I'm satisfied with the efficiency and, of course, we have a world-class goalkeeper at the back.'

Goals from Lewandowski, Kingsley Coman and then Leroy Sane after Marc Roca's red card gave the Bavarian side an insurmountable lead before Berisha's 73rd-minute consolation.

However former Bayern midfielder Flick, who won the treble last year, saw his team concede 19 shots, 11 of which were on target, only recording five efforts on target in return.

And Neuer stated the Bayern defence was not good enough.

He added: 'We have conceded too many goals recently. It was, of course, also down to the opponents. We played against a strong team. We lost the ball too easily and that hurt us.

'It is important that we won today and are group winners. You do what you can.'