MUNICH: Bayern Munich will look to “punish” Villarreal for their missed chances in the first leg and produce a “brilliant” display in the return at home on Tuesday to turn around their Champions League quarter-final.
By their own admission, Bayern were lucky to only lose 1-0 last week away to Villarreal as Francis Coquelin had a goal disallowed and Gerard Moreno hit the post for the Spaniards.
Moreno also curled agonisingly wide from inside his own half after Bayern goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer miscued a clearance, briefly leaving his own net gaping.
“We made a lot of mistakes in the away game, they made one which allowed us to survive – and we should punish that,” Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann said Monday.
Bayern have scored 20 goals in their last six home games, but they are under pressure to avoid exiting the Champions League in the quarter-finals for the second straight year.
“As we all know, diamonds are made under high pressure,” said Nagelsmann. “Hopefully we will produce a brilliant performance tomorrow.”
Neuer insisted Bayern have the experience to cope with losing the first leg. “The good thing is that we still hold our fate in our own hands,” he said.
Villarreal coach Unai Emery stressed his team remain the underdogs in Munich.
“Bayern are the favourites. It will be incredibly difficult and we have to try to find answers,” he said. “We must know how to respond.”
However, Bayern are currently struggling for form and questions remain over their leadership on the pitch after the loss in Spain.
Nagelsmann wants his key players such as Neuer, Thomas Mueller and Joshua Kimmich to make their presence felt and heard.
“Everyone has to take responsibility and rather speak too much than too little,” said Nagelsmann.
“It gives me confidence that we played a bad game in Villarreal and Villarreal played one of their best.
“Not all of us are peaking at the moment,” he admitted as Bayern laboured to a 1-0 win over Augsburg on Saturday. “There is a lot at stake, so we have to invest a lot.”
Germany defender Niklas Suele is sidelined by flu, but Bayern will be near full strength.
Nagelsmann said Bayern must deny Villarreal “the time they need to find their rhythm” and expects the visitors to defend deeper this time.
He also urged his team to limit Villarreal’s possession in order to “take Pau Torres, (Juan) Foyth and (Giovani) Lo Celso out of the game more.”
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