Hansi flick received a particularly nice birthday present one day late – from his team.
"There is no such thing as a desirable result," said the coach of FC bayern, who on 24. February was 55 years old, although. But flick liked the following day (21.00 o'clock/sky) would like to "make a mark" in london, namely that of a contender for europe's soccer crown. Flick also has a lot at stake personally, because his performance in the champions league will be one of the deciding factors in his continued employment as coach beyond this season.
Even uli hoeneb will be a noble fan at the eighth-final first leg. This alone documents the immense significance that the historically charged duel with chelsea FC has for FC bayern. 100 days after retiring from the presidency, hoeneb accompanies his bavaria away from home for the first time again. "We have something to make up for," the honorary president remarked, recalling the bitterly lost "final dahoam" against chelsea in 2012.
Hoeneb will be on the tribune at stamford bridge. "It's going to be a difficult game," predicted the 68-year-old, who has been openly reserved since his retirement in november 2019. Hoeneb has great faith in flick and the team around success guarantee robert lewandowski. This is the goal that CEO karl-heinz rummenigge formulated – and it extends beyond the first round.O.-round beyond.
"Clearly we have rough claims internationally," rummenigge said. Especially after the eighth-final k.O. Against FC liverpool last year, they will give everything "that the journey continues". But the CEO warned against premature title dreams.
Despite munich's bitter chelsea past, the reunion with the blues will above all be a signpost to the future. Where FC bayern stands in europe? How rough must the transfer offensive be in the summer? And flick also delivers in the konigsklasse? For the coach, the K.O.-games for the international aptitude test.
"We can be totally satisfied with the work hansi has done so far," praised rummenigge. At the final training session, which flick still held in munich, the players sang a song for him. 14 victories in 17 compulsory games to his credit. The way of playing was again bayern-like, rummenigge judged. His confidence in flick is rough: "the coach will come up with something tactically. He always found a good recipe."
Rummenigge advocates a bold approach: "scoring a goal is always helpful. A year ago against liverpool, we did not achieve an optimal result with the 0-0 draw."Against chelsea, the bavarians are the favorites this time around. With six victories and 24:5 goals, they set a record group stage. "Chelsea also saw how we got through the group. We have also beaten tottenham twice as an english team. London suits us. We also want to win away from home," said captain manuel neuer.
But no german team has won at stamford bridge yet. "I played there. There's a hot atmosphere," said sporting director hasan salihamidzic. He was present at bayern's 2:4 defeat in 2005, which ended munich's quarter-final knockout tie.O. Initiated. "We want to be brave here," announced national player joshua kimmich.
Unlike the muhseligen 3:2 against SC paderborn can flick again his current top formation, so with jerôme boateng and benjamin pavard in the defense. In addition, midfielder leon goretzka is fit for action again after muscular problems. "Leon has no more problems," reported flick.
Lewandowski should be the offensive trump card. "Robert is in the form of his life, he has a run, he is a leader up front," flick praised his center forward. 38 goals for lewandowski after 33 games this season, ten of them in the kings league. In the K.O.-but he has not scored in almost 600 minutes of champions league matches. "Discussing robert would be inappropriate," rummenigge countered this statistic: "he is absolutely world class. Robert also saved us against paderborn with his two goals."
Rummenigge also hopes that philippe coutinho will round on rough stage as a joker: "he gives the impression as if he is inhibited. I don't know what the reason is. We just have to hope that he will now become an important factor in the decisive games, which will contribute to us winning titles in the end."
Chelsea, on the other hand, no longer have a spectre like didier drogba, bayern's nightmare of 2012. But the blues believe in themselves after their dress rehearsal with the 2-1 against tottenham. "This game was perhaps a turning point for us," said france's world champion olivier giroud, who recommended himself as a goal-scorer for the bayern game.