BERLIN: Bayern Munich's match-winner Corentin Tolisso admits the arrival of Jupp Heynckes as head coach has complicated the fortunes of the club's record signing.
Tolisso, 23, scored the winning goal in Saturday's scrappy 1-0 Bundesliga victory at 10-man Hamburg which left Bayern second on goal difference in Germany's top flight.
The Frenchman, who cost Bayern a club-record 41.5 million euros ($48.9m) from Lyon in June, also hit the post in the second-half.
The defending champions struggled to break down a resilient Hamburg team who had Gideon Jung sent off for scything down Kingsley Coman on 40 minutes.
It was the first time Tolisso got a start under Heynckes, who is back for a fourth spell at Bayern after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked last month.
The defensive midfielder admits the change in coach means he has had a lack of opportunities with the 72-year-old Heynckes instead preferring Thiago Alcantara in the middle.
"For me personally, it's a bit more complicated. I have only played one of the three games since Jupp Heynckes came in, but I am not losing hope," said Tolisso.
"I'm going to give everything to try and show the coach that I should play as many matches as possible and that he can count on me.
"But we have a very big squad and it's hard to win a place."
The win in Hamburg left Bayern level on 20 points with current leaders Borussia Dortmund, who surrendered a two-goal lead in drawing 2-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Tolisso said Bayern had wanted to attack Dortmund's points lead, but struggled to impose themselves against a determined Hamburg defence, who never backed down despite the numerical disadvantage.
"It was an important game, we saw the Dortmund result, which spurred us on, but the game was difficult and we didn't play the football we wanted to," admitted the Frenchman.
"In the end, we could have scored more goals," he added as both he and Thiago hit the woodwork.
The win in Hamburg could have come at a cost as Bayern captain Thomas Mueller, who set up Tolisso's goal, went off with a thigh injury just ten minutes after coming on for the start of the second half.
Bayern have a tough week ahead in their double-header against third-placed RB Leipzig.
They play RB away in a German Cup match on Wednesday followed by a home league match against Leipzig at the Allianz Arena in Munich next Saturday.