Bayern Munich should be considered as serious contender for CL
Manuel Neuer believes that Bayern Munich will be a formidable side in the Champions League this season.
Bayern Munich have been largely inconsistent in the Bundesliga this season. The defending champions are currently seventh in the league, seven points behind the top position. Meanwhile, Die Roten have been ruthless in the cup competitions.
Rekordmeister made sure that they have a flawless record in the group stage of the Champions League. They ended the group stage by clinching a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspurs at Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
Along with wins, Bayern’s performances during group stages were impressive. They went to London in October and defeated Spurs by a 7-2 scoreline. Die Roten ended this round with 24 goals, which is all-time second-highest for a team in group stages.
Manuel Neuer was pleased with the performance of Bayern in the Champions League this season. Speaking to media (via Kicker), the German goalkeeper insisted that Bayern needs to be taken seriously in Europe. These performances will make Bayern a dangerous opponent for every team in the round of 16.
"“I think we showed our face, especially in the two games against Tottenham. But we basically played very well, consistently and focused in the Champions League.”“It is also important to be taken seriously in Europe again.”"
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Bayern has been enduring disappointments in the Champions League since winning the trophy in 2013. They managed to reach semi-finals under Pep Guardiola for three years in a row, but couldn’t get past Spanish teams on every occasion.
The club’s performances in Europe degraded further after Guardiola’s departure. During Carlo Ancelotti’s solitary season, Die Roten reached quarterfinals. Jupp Heynckes’ interim tenure was fruitful, but Bayern once again lost to Real Madrid in semi-finals. Last season was the biggest disappointment as the German club were knocked out in the round of 16 by Liverpool.
Bayern have been naive in most of the big European games in the past couple of seasons. They lack ruthlessness in both boxes, which ultimately leads to their elimination. The star players have also struggled to come up with big performances in these games. It will be interesting to see how Die Roten fare this season as Robert Lewandowski, their talismanic number nine, is in red hot form.
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Along with tactical naiveness, Die Roten have also been very unlucky with injuries. The German club has lost key players to serious injuries ahead of big knockout games. This year Niklas Sule will miss those games as he has been ruled out till the end of the season. Die Roten will know the team they will face in the next round on Monday.