The Bayern Munich star feels his side cannot afford to underestimate their Ukrainian opponents when they meet in the Champions League second round
Arjen Robben is worried that Bayern Munich will underestimate Tuesday’s Champions League opponents Shakhtar.
The Bundesliga champions and current leaders take on Mircea Lucescu’s side in Ukraine on Tuesday in the second round of the continent’s premier competition.
And Robben insists his side must be wary of the threat posed by their opponents’ counter attacks.
“I have a feeling that some people might underestimate Shakhtar,” he told reporters. “But this is a very, very good team. They are very dangerous, have some very fast Brazilians and are very dangerous on the counter attack.
“We need to show our power in this game.”
The clash will be played in Lviv, over 600 miles from their own Donbass Arena, because of ongoing troubles in Ukraine, and Robben says it is impossible to ignore it.
“We’re football players, but we are only human,” he said. “Of course it’s not great what’s happening there.
“You can’t just go there and ignore it all.”
Thomas Muller echoed his team-mate’s thoughts on the “surreal situation” in the country.
“You know there is this terrible war out there, but you don’t really realise it because you don’t really know such a situation,” said the 25-year-old.
“It’s hard to grasp to be playing against a team that is based in a crisis area. It’s a surreal situation.”