Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara is confident his side will be able to retain the Bundesliga title after overhauling Borussia Dortmund’s lead.
This season has been far from ideal for Bayern Munich, but they are still in a good position to complete a domestic double. Die Roten sealed their place in the final of the DFB Pokal after clinching a narrow 3-2 win over Werder Bremen on Wednesday. The Bavarians also sit at the top of the Bundesliga with a one-point lead over Borussia Dortmund and just four games remaining.
Bayern’s players have been under immense criticism for their poor performances throughout this season. However, they recovered brilliantly from their poor spells to bring Die Roten back in the title race. Speaking to Spox, Thiago Alcantara insisted Bayern will retain the Bundesliga title. The Spaniard hailed his teammates for showing the right attitude to get their campaign back on track in the past few months.
"“We didn’t have the best attitude about everything between September and November when we gave up a lot of points with our own mistakes. But then we worked very hard and began to climb and climb back up the table.“A few weeks ago we were eight points behind Dortmund, and now we’re one point ahead. I’m optimistic that we’ll be champions because we’ve done it in the last six years, we’re on a really good run of form and we know what to expect.”"
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Niko Kovac has responded really well to the constant criticism he has faced throughout this season as well. Despite Bayern consistently getting positive results, the Croatian manager’s future has been a hot topic in the German media all season due to the team’s inconsistent performances. Thiago believes Kovac is a very good coach and the players just needed time to adapt to his methods. The Spaniard has previously admitted he is enjoying playing under the Croatian manager.
Thiago was subject to a lot of transfer speculation last summer. He didn’t play regularly under Jupp Heynckes, and his performances in the big games attracted a lot of criticism. Bayern reportedly were ready to listen to offers for him as there were reports of interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid.
There were no concrete offers for the Spaniard, though, and he ended up staying in Munich. However, Kovac has made the former Barcelona midfielder his key man in midfield this season. Thiago has played as both a number six and eight this season, and his performances have been consistent throughout the season, making him one of the first names on the team sheet each week. Thiago is settled at Bayern, and he is unlikely to seek a move away from the club anytime soon.
Thiago also spoke about the influence of Pep Guardiola on his career. The Spaniard believes Guardiola has left his imprints on Bayern and that the team is still using some parts of his philosophy. Guardiola brought Thiago to Bayern Munich in 2013, and the Spanish midfielder will forever remain grateful for his support during his time at the club.