Munich (AP) – Before the quarter-final second leg in the soccer Champions League against FC Villarreal, Manuel Neuer emphasized the special strength of FC Bayern Munich after setbacks.
“We’re not to be trifled with when we lose a game like Villarreal 1-0. Of course that annoys us,” said the captain of the German series champion. On Tuesday (9:00 p.m. / Amazon Prime Video), the Munich team have to catch up against the Spanish Europa League winners from a 0-1 draw in the first leg in order to reach the semi-finals. Neuer emphasized: “These are games that excite us.”
In the intended turnaround, Neuer is also relying on emotional stimuli from the 70,000 spectators in the sold-out Allianz Arena. “We’re playing at home, we’re a bit motivated, we want to use that and prove it with our fans,” said the 36-year-old international goalkeeper. The “own will”, the “character of the team” coupled with ambition and speech make him confident that they will probably move into the semi-finals they are aiming for against Liverpool.