Manuel Neuer: "Of course You don't forget such games (8-2), but Barcelona have a completely different team now. The players who are playing now will take on more responsibility because Messi is no longer there. I think tactically they will be better (than in 2020)"
Neuer: "That game back then certainly hurt Barcelona. But these are now two new games in the group stage and we're looking forward to two big games. This is a huge game to start with. We're looking forward to our Champions League journey this season."
Neuer: "It's cool that we now have so many spectators in the stadium now. We saw that over the weekend in Leipzig. It's difficult to judge the teams now because we're all still at the beginning of the season."
Neuer: "It's unfamiliar, of course, for any team to play against Barcelona without Messi. But I wouldn't say I'm any more relaxed, they still have great players in attack and are maybe even more difficult to predict. When you play against Barcelona you are never relaxed"
Neuer: "For young players like Jamal, it's something special to play at the Camp Nou. Every player dreams of that. We would have liked to have our fans with us tomorrow, but that's not in our control."
Neuer on Barcelona getting a rest over the weekend: "I don't know if it is an advantage for Barcelona that the game was postponed at the weekend. Sometimes it's better to play and be in the rhythm"
• • •
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Aleksandar Pavlović discusses his style of play in interview with the club's magazine #Säbener51
• Aleks, how would you describe what kind of player you are in a few words?
Pavlović: "I'm someone who tries to take control of the game and direct what’s happening with composure and vision. When I realize we have everything under control, I want to be creative and show people some good football."
• What does game control mean to you?
Pavlović: "It's a combination of many factors. Controlling the game means having the ball and being dominant. It also means setting the rhythm: when things need to calm down, ease off the pace; when things need to move quickly, get the ball straight up the park. It's about finding the right balance."
• How do you realise you're in control during the game?
Pavlović: "I want to play my game, no matter who the opponents are. I always want to have the ball and set up my teammates well, preferably with a forward pass. Sometimes that doesn't work because the opponents close down the space well, then you have to find another solution."
• How important are the first touches in a game for your confidence?
Pavlović: "A good start always gives you confidence. But even if the first touches don't come off, it doesn't put me off my stride. I continue to play unperturbed and demand the ball just as I did before. No matter who's in front of me, how tight things are on the pitch or how much pressure there is: I have no fear. I've had this ability since I was a child and it's getting stronger every year. I think that helps me enormously in my game. It's a good gift."
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge speaking to @diarioas on Bayern vs Real Madrid: "It’s the most-played matchup in Champions League history – I looked it up. There have been 28 meetings so far. Madrid have two more wins than us. It’s the same in the UEFA club rankings: they’re first, we’re just behind. It’s the pinnacle, the game of all games, a final before the final. It’s the tie that has generated the most buzz over time. In the 2000s we made life hardest for Madrid; lately they’ve taken the edge."
[@menzellopez]
Rummenigge on playing at the Bernabéu: "The stadium weighs on you. The crowd does too. Back then you also had to be a bit wary of the referee you got (laughs), but the energy that stadium can generate is extraordinary. I remember the tie against City in 2022. Madrid were practically out – until they turned it around in stoppage time. The stadium and the fans, together with the team, become a hurricane. You need nerves of steel, composure, and mental readiness."
Rummenigge on how he sees Bayern's chances to advance: "First, we’re right not to label ourselves favorites, no matter how stable our team is. This isn’t a normal game. I’m still close friends with Pep Guardiola and called him before his round-of-16 tie, but even then I knew Madrid in February was nothing like early-season Madrid. They had issues, but since the games against City they’ve been that team again – capable of winning everything if you let them. Our meeting two years ago is proof. We were ahead for a long time at the Bernabéu, then came that double blow and the final slipped away from us"
• On whether spending his entire career at FC Bayern is an option for him: "Absolutely. I don't know anything other than FC Bayern. If everything goes as we want it to, there's no reason to do anything else. I'm giving my all for these colors every single day and I will continue to do so. You can be sure of that"
[@hannalein3]
• Where are you on your journey to becoming "the best #6 in the world"?
Pavlović: "You have to take it step by step to achieve big goals. I look up to Rodri a bit in that respect; for me, he was one of the best for a long time. Training and playing alongside players like Joshua Kimmich, Kane, and others every day is unique."
• You're taking on more responsibility on the pitch. Does that inevitably lead to more pressure?
Pavlović: "No, I see it more as a privilege. When the younger players come up, like I did, I'm happy to give them advice and guide them. Because I know from my own experience how important that is for young players. I often do things with Lennart Karl, for example; we go out to eat together. And Tom Bischof too. We're the younger generation finding its feet. I'm happy to take on that responsibility"
Lennart Karl in @kicker interview with @FrankLinkesch & @m_krischel
• On his rapid rise: "I was sometimes surprised at how everything turned out. But I always thought I could do it. So I persevered and worked hard. I'm very satisfied, but of course there's always room for improvement. Hopefully I can score more goals, provide more assists, and deliver even better performances."
Karl on turning 18 today: "That's something special. I've now got my driver's license, and it just makes you feel a bit freer, even though my parents still tell me what I should and shouldn't do [laughs]. Overall, you become more independent. Getting my driver's license was very important to me"
• How does a 17-year-old manage to hold his own in a circle of national team players and global stars?
Karl: "When I play, I have to perform, plain and simple. But as the coach often says: The pressure isn't on me."
• Vincent Kompany emphasizes this very often, but does it really work? Can you play without pressure?
Karl: "It can be difficult at times, I have to say. There's so much coming at you from the outside, from the media, through social media. You just have to block it all out, but that's not always possible. On the pitch, it's not about how old I am, but about performing well. So you just have to always give your all and concentrate on what's happening on the pitch"
• On Bayern's season so far: "Before the season, we faced a lot of criticism because, according to the so-called experts, we hadn't made enough signings and should have brought in more expensive players. The decision not to do so was absolutely right. It led to the team growing together. Everyone knew they were needed. That's how a strong unit was formed. Now that players like Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies, who have been injured for a long time, are returning, it's clear they can't be in top form immediately. The team's cohesion is suffering a bit, but it hasn't been lost. In crucial moments, like the second half against Leipzig, we saw that aggressive attitude again, that everyone is there for each other. We're capable of really pushing ourselves when it matters."
• Do you see any team in Europe that Bayern should fear?
Hoeneß: "We won't get cocky. In the 1-3 defeat in London against Arsenal, we faced an opponent who was simply better on the day. And you can never underestimate clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, Barcelona, and Manchester City. They're there when it matters, just waiting for the right moment"
• You and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have emphasized that you want to continue until you feel that everything is running smoothly at the club. What makes you say that?
Hoeneß: "It's not about everything running smoothly, but about us feeling that the personnel situation is so well-organized that we can sit comfortably in the stands for the next 5-10 years without having to worry too much – that was always the vision we had. In our sausage factory, where my wife and I handed over the reins to our children twelve years ago, this worked out perfectly. But of course, things like that don't always work out. We experienced that at Bayern Munich: I greatly appreciate Oliver Kahn as a person, but it just wasn't the right fit."
Max Eberl in @SPORT1 interview with @StefanKumberger ⤵️
• Mr. Eberl, FC Bayern are currently still in all three competitions. How would you describe the atmosphere throughout the club?
Eberl: "I always like to look at the whole picture. We took something valuable from every moment of preseason and carried it over from the Club World Cup into the new season. That's why we're currently still in all competitions and competitive at the highest level. It's true that it's just a snapshot in time, but I'm not really a fan of that term, since there's a story behind every moment. The atmosphere, as I perceive it, is good and focused at the same time."
• The team dominated and played some brilliant football in the first half of the season, but now it increasingly looks like hard work. How long will hard-fought wins last?
Eberl: "Something like that definitely carries you through to the next games – because you see what you're capable of. Just because you were on a roll before Christmas doesn't mean it'll simply continue like that in the new year. You always have to work to get that "flow" back, and we've achieved that – even though the defeat against Augsburg and the draw at HSV were difficult. But we know that we can always bounce back after setbacks – even if we don't have control over everything. Anything is possible in knockout matches. I like to say: football is at most 80 percent predictable – but we want to achieve 100 percent of that 80 percent"
• How big is the fear that a small moment like a red card or an injury could jeopardize success and ruin the entire season?
Eberl: "We are stable and can compensate for many things. We have a squad that is smaller than in the past, but we still have enough quality because the players are currently available. You're never immune to serious injuries like those of Alphonso Davies or Jamal Musiala last year, but we feel that it's difficult to throw us off balance at the moment."