Category: News

The Dutchman feels Bayern Munich did everything right during their victory over Juventus, which came courtesy of goals from Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro

Arjen Robben paid tribute to “a perfect away performance” after Bayern Munich beat Juventus 2-0 in Turin on Wednesday night to sail into the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Having triumphed by the same scoreline in the first leg at the Allianz Arena, there was little onus on the Bavarians to take the game to the Bianconeri but, after a cagey opening quarter, that is exactly what they did, and second-half strikes from Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro were just rewards for a dominant display.

“Yeah, I think it was the perfect away performance,” Robben told Sky Sports.

“If you win 2-0 away in Turin, that’s an amazing result because they’re unbeaten in so many games in Italy and they’re such a perfect team; so strong at the back.

“So, if you dominate the game, too, then I think it’s a great performance.”

Bayern are joined in the last four by Barcelona, Real Madrid and compatriots Borussia Dortmund. A semi-final showdown with Jurgen Klopp’s men would guarantee a German representative in the final, but Robben would rather die Roten face their Bundesliga rivals in the final.

“I think [Germans] will want us kept apart,” the winger mused. “I think that’s what we’re hoping for. I think it’d be nice if we’re mixed up, but we don’t have a choice.

“It’s going to be a big one, the semi-final, as we’re maybe the four best teams in the world at the moment, so it’s going to be very nice.”

Robben is just happy that Bayern are once again in a position to record a treble, having wrapped up the league at the weekend.

“We knew that was going to happen,” the Netherlands international explained. “We had such a big gap with the second place, but I think it’s good that it’s done and dusted, and that we can focus on the Champions League now.

“Next week we also play in the semi-final in the German Cup, so we have some pretty big games coming up.”

The Bavarians tackle Nurnberg in the Bundesliga on Saturday before taking on Wolfsburg in the DFB Pokal on Tuesday evening.

Bayern Munich booked their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League with another commanding defeat of Juventus.

The newly-crowned German champions triumphed 2-0 in Turin on Wednesday night to seal a 4-0 aggregate win over their Italian counterparts.

The Bavarians soaked up what little the Bianconeri could throw at them during the early exchanges of both halves before eventually putting the outcome of the tie beyond all doubt when Mario Mandzukic converted from close range just after the hour-mark.

Juventus tried to rally but there was to be no way back for Antonio Conte’s game but limited side, who were opened up again in the dying seconds when substitute Claudio Pizarro fired home.

While the Bianconeri had to make do without suspended duo Arturo Vidal and Stephan Lichtsteiner, they were at least buoyed by Mirko Vucinic’s return to full fitness, with the Montenegrin having been restricted to the role of substitute in Munich.

Unsurprisingly, a fired-up Vucinic was particularly prominent early on, curling a tame strike into the arms of Manuel Neuer before then lofting the ball into the path of Claudio Marchisio, who drove forward with menace only to then blaze high and wide as the Bayern goal came into range.

Die Roten, though, weathered what was a very early and brief storm, and it took an expertly executed sliding challenge from Simone Padoin to prevent Mandzukic from finishing off a terrific move down the right-hand side involving Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.

Andrea Pirlo lifted the home fans with a stinging free kick from the edge of the area that Neuer did well to fist over the bar, while Paul Pogba flashed a ball across the face of the six-yard box that criminally went unconverted.

However, for all the Bianconeri’s bluster, and the loss of Daniel van Buyten to injury 35 minutes in, Bayern looked reasonably comfortable and they arguably finished the half the stronger, with Gianluigi Buffon having to produce a flying save to keep out a well-struck drive from David Alaba.

Vucinic, though, put Juve back on the front foot with a barnstorming run right at the heart of the Bayern back-line immediately after the interval and, just moments later, strike partner Fabio Quagliarella flashed a shot just wide of Neuer’s right post.

However, the increasingly desperate hosts unsurprisingly began to leave holes at the back and one brilliant Bayern breakaway on 57 minutes really should have resulted in the opening goal, Mandzukic deftly laying the ball off into the path of Robben, who took a touch before striking the post with a sublime curling effort from 20 yards out.

The Bavarians’ disappointment did not last long, though, with Mandzukic on hand to convert the rebound after Buffon had done brilliantly to keep out Javi Martinez’s point-blank range volley from a Bastian Schweinsteiger free kick.

The visitors should have doubled their advantage moments later but Thomas Muller blazed over after being put through by Robben. However, Bayern would get the second goal their dominance deserved when Pizarro slotted home after slipped he was in by Schweinsteiger to put the seal on another statement of intent from a side clearly driven by their desire to atone for last season’s final defeat by Chelsea.

The former West Germany defender says the young Brazilian will never become one of the world’s best players unless he moves across the Atlantic

Bayern Munich legend Paul Breitner feels that Santos striker Neymar needs to move to a top European club in order to maximise his potential.

The Brazil international has been widely linked with a variety of the continent’s top clubs and the former West Germany star believes he needs to make the move to take the next step.

“No one knows his true potential. He needs to play every day against players like [Franck] Ribery and Cristiano Ronaldo to know whether he’s a true star or not,” Bretiner told ESPN Brasil.

“I’d like to see Neymar playing in Europe, because no one knows how good he is. Not even he knows that.

“Becoming a star only in Brazil is not enough. He needs to prove his class, his level, his skills, where the best football is being played at the moment, and that’s in Europe.”

The 61-year-old cited Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as an example of a South American who took his career to the higher level by moving across the Atlantic Ocean.

“I find it funny when I read that he wants to be the best in the world playing here. Messi wouldn’t have become the best player in the word if he had stayed in Argentina. And Neymar won’t either.”

Among the clubs linked closest with a move for Neymar are Bayern, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The German has launched a scathing attack on English football, saying it has ceased developing in recent years compared to the Bundesliga

Former Bayern Munich player and pundit Paul Breitner has slammed the Premier League and believes the Bundesliga has overtaken it to become the world’s leading championship.

The 61-year-old ex-West Germany international, no stranger to controversy, has labelled the English top-flight as stagnant and concerned only with marketability.

With no English involvement in the semi-finals of the Champions League, but the possibility of two German representatives, Breitner is adamant that the Bundesliga is now the best league in the world.

“The Premier League used to be the best national league in the world until 2009,” Breitner told ESPN‘s Bola da Vez in Brazil. “The Premier League is now only the best league in Asia.

“Which English team is still in the Champions League? None. That’s because they have stopped improving, they have stopped developing their league a few years ago.

“They sat on top of the money and they said ‘That’s it’. They don’t think about which players they could take there in order to improve their teams and the level of their football. They only want players with a name, to catch attention.

“The Premier League is out, totally out. The Bundesliga is now the best league in the world.”

Breitner also lauded the competitiveness of the Bundesliga and praised the German football experience, ridiculing the stadia of England, Spain and Italy.

“If we talk about the Premier League, we talk about the big four,” he continued. “Now, without Liverpool, it’s the big three. In Spain, you have the big two. In the Bundesliga, we have the big two, but our other teams are in a great international level.

“This is all part of the development of the German football as a whole. And we’re going to keep getting better and better, because of how we sell football.

“Starting with our stadiums. We have the best, most moderns, most comfortable arenas in the world. Go to England… It’s laughable. Go to Spain… Laughable. Go to Italy… Oh my God!

“We knew, since 2006, that we’d need to do a lot to improve our football. Now every stadium is full, every match is sold out. And this will only improve.”

The 39-year-old believes the Bavarians will get a hostile reception in Turin on Wednesday as they look to make the Champions League semi-finals

EXCLUSIVE
By Severin Trompetter

Former Germany striker Oliver Neuville believes that Juventus will be going to “war” against Bayern Munich in Turin on Wednesday.

The Bavarians hold a 2-0 lead from the Germany leg last week and the 39-year-old feels the Italian fans will give Jupp Heynckes’ side a hostile reception.

“It will not be a pleasant atmosphere for Bayern. It will be a war against the Germans,” he told Goal.com.

“I know that in Turin, they have a small stadium and the Juve fans create a really good atmosphere. It is a different game [from the first leg].”

However, Neuville went on to back Bayern to progress thanks to their good work at the Allianz Arena last Tuesday.

“In football, you never know what happens, but I assume that Bayern will do it,” he continued.

“Should Bayern score, then Juve will need four goals [to progress]. I do not think they can succeed. Bayern are too strong this season.”