"Lesson not learned": Villarreal star hands out against FC Bayern
Created: 04/27/2022, 10:45 am
By: Alexander Kaindl
FC Villarreal has thrown FC Bayern Munich out of the Champions League.
Francis Coquelin has now explained why the big favorite failed.
Munich – It was one of the darkest hours of the recent past: FC Bayern Munich had to give up in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Not against a team with a big name like Real Madrid, Liverpool FC or Paris Saint-Germain.
No - the modest FC Villarreal from the 50,000-inhabitant city in Spain put an end to the "Bestia Negra".
FC Villarreal: Francis Coquelin talks about the Champions League quarterfinals against FC Bayern
A 1-0 defeat in the first leg and the late 1-1 equalizer in the second leg meant that the highly valued Bavarians were eliminated from the premier class early on.
After the sensational semi-finals of the blatant outsider, Munich were on the ground - and the "yellow submarine" on top.
On Wednesday Villarreal meets Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions League, the conditions are similar to those before the quarter-finals.
Many a protagonist still thinks of the same thing today.
For example Francis Coquelin.
The Frenchman is one of Villarreal's most experienced midfielders, having been an asset in both games against Bayern.
He now tried to explain Munich's departure to
the
Guardian : "It was a small lack of modesty, I would say.
I can understand that a bit: when you're the bigger team you don't do it on purpose, but of course sometimes you think, 'Well, we're playing against the easiest team'.”
Villarreal's Francis Coquelin sent friendly greetings to FC Bayern Munich ahead of the Champions League semifinals.
© Ricardo Larreina Amador / Imago
"Lesson not learned": Villarreal star Coquelin shares against Bayern
But that wasn't the case - according to Coquelin, Bayern would have noticed that in the first leg, after all Villarreal "could have scored three or four goals" there.
But the midfielder went further and alluded to statements by Bayern, who were fighting and self-confident before the second leg.
Among other things, coach Julian Nagelsmann said in the PK before the game: "You made the mistake of letting us live - and we have to punish it." Captain Manuel Neuer said: "We are not to be trifled with."
So they haven't learned their lesson.
Francis Coquelin on FC Bayern Munich
Coquelin still remembers those words.
He went on to tell the
Guardian
: "I thought they would think, 'Maybe we talked a little too much.'
But then they did exactly the same thing.
So they haven't learned their lesson.
And all the chances we didn't take in the first leg, we took in the second leg.
We had one and used it.
That's why they're eliminated.”
Francis Coquelin and Villarreal in the Champions League semifinals against Liverpool
Will the Spaniards slip into a similar role against Liverpool?
Coquelin is aware that his team is the clear outsider.
But: "We eliminated Bayern Munich and Juventus and we're going there to compete.
We're not going there just to see Anfield."
Fans will hope to see a spectacle similar to Tuesday night's.
Manchester City and Real Madrid had set off a football fireworks display.
(acl)
