Bayern Munich will battle Inter Milan in the Champions League…
Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer is ready to face Inter Milan in the Champions League, but knows that it will not be an easy task.
“We’re facing a very good opponent tomorrow. We all play football for games like this – it’s fun. It will be a very difficult tie over the two legs. It’s clear that Inter have a lot of quality. But we’re looking forward to it. It’s one of the toughest opponents so far. They defend very well, and are also good going forward. But we also know we can hurt them. It’s the biggest stage. There are no weak teams left,” Laimer said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “It’s true that we have many injuries, but we’re not looking for excuses; we need to come together as a team and overcome this together. We still have enough quality to win, I’m convinced of that.
“Of course, they are very good and important players whom we can’t replace like for like. But as a team, we can. Defending never works alone; it always works together. It’s not just the back four that defends; it’s everyone who tries to prevent attacks and concede as few chances as possible. I’m convinced we have the quality, no matter who’s in the back four tomorrow. You only win these games through a certain amount of ‘magic’ up front and hard work as a whole team.”
Laimer also touched on Thomas Müller potentially taking over for Jamal Musiala as the attacking midfielder.
“Thomas can always create moments of magic, but we have many players who can decide a game—I have confidence in everyone in our team that they have the ability to decide the game. I would be happy for anyone who has that one moment tomorrow or in the return leg to help us,” Laimer said. “It’s a lot of fun being with (Müller) in the dressing room or on the pitch. I even got to sit next to him in the dressing room for two years and heard his jokes. He is who he is – 100% genuine and authentic in what he does. And he has a character that never gets boring. That’s what makes him such a special person: he brings joy, fun, and energy – and can make everyone better. He also wants to constantly improve himself.”
As for his own role on the squad, Laimer says that he is “comfortable” at right-back.
“Ultimately, I also feel comfortable as a right-back. The way I interpret the role and the coach demands it, I can play in a lot of spaces, similar to a midfielder. It’s fun to play in this squad, to play in this position. I believe I can contribute in every position to help the team,” Laimer noted.
Finally, Laimer laid out how he would like to see things go against Inter Milan.
“A good result is always helpful, there’s no getting around it. A 3-0 win like last time makes things easier for the return leg. But we also have what it takes to go to Milan and win there if tomorrow ends in a draw. Of course we want to win, especially at home. But patience may also be required to create chances; Inter has a strong defense. We’ll give it our all to be able to win,” said Laimer. “We’re four games away, it’s that simple: There’s always this big fuss around it. You want to get to the final every year, now we have two tough games – and then we’ll look ahead. There’s still plenty of work to be done. We have a lot of energy – and we have to channel that into the two 90-minute games. If we can do that, we can beat anyone.”
Looking for more thoughts and discussion on Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan in the Champions League? Awesome, then check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
Be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @IredahlMarcus, @enadmo1135, @TommyAdams71 and more.
