In the first leg against Chelsea, Bayern want to prove that they have learned from last year's knockout stages. The pressure to succeed is enormous, but the trainer feels "great anticipation".
London (dpa) - Hansi Flick does not want to speak of a very special pressure. Sure, the first knockout game in the Champions League outperforms the previous 17 competitive games as head coach of FC Bayern.
Nevertheless, the Flick, who has been 55 years old since Monday, feels "great anticipation" for the important first knockout round at Chelsea.
Flick wants to "make a statement" with his team at Stamford Bridge in the evening (9pm / Sky). Europe should see that Bayern can be expected internationally again this season. "We're on track in the second half of the season," he said confidently in London.
MATCHPLAN: Bayern learned from their early departure last year against Liverpool, according to their own statements. Back then they were satisfied with the 0-0 in the first leg, Joshua Kimmich recalled. In the second leg in Munich there was a 1: 3 against Jürgen Klopp's team, which then started to win the title. "We have to act differently," concludes Kimmich: brave, active, aggressive. This is also what Flicks Matchplan provides for. "We have to play with all our concentration and passion. We want to play courageously and are on the right track," said the coach.
GUARANTEED SUCCESS: Robert Lewandowski is Bavaria's biggest asset on the offensive. The Pole had scored ten goals in the group stage. He leads the top scorer list together with Erling Haaland from Dortmund. In the last seven knockout games with Bayern, however, the 31-year-old has remained goalless. Most recently Lewandowski met Besiktas Istanbul in the round of 16 two years ago. However, Flick does not doubt his top striker: "Robert currently has the shape of his life. He has a run and we hope that he will prove it here too. He is very important for us as a leader." Lewandowski's goal rate is "sensational". There are 38 goals after 33 competitive appearances this season.
LONDON: For the second time this season, the Bavarians are visiting the English capital. And the memories of October 1, 2019 are excellent: Munich won 7-2 in a group game against Tottenham. National player Serge Gnabry shone as a four-time scorer at the goal festival. At that time the Munich coach was still called Niko Kovac, Hansi Flick acted as his assistant. "We play a little differently than at the time," Kimmich answered on Monday evening in London when asked by an English reporter about the changes at Bayern. "Nevertheless, I would of course be satisfied with the result from back then," remarked Kimmich with a grin.
CHELSEA: Frank Lampard shows great respect for Bayern. "We are facing a very strong team. Bayern can win the Champions League every year," said the 41-year-old coach, who led Chelsea in 2012 in a dramatic final victory over Bayern in the Allianz Arena in Munich. Defense chief Antonio Rüdiger is a top performer with the English. "He has a very strong mentality and is also a very important player for us at the DFB," said Kimmich about his colleague from the German national team. Flick warns of Chelsea's strength at home: "It's a team that can put a lot of pressure at home."