Bayern wary of another Sevilla surprise in Champions League

SEVILLE: Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has said there were no celebrations when his players watched the Champions League draw come out but Sevilla head into today’s tie as the overwhelming underdogs of the quarter-finals.

Only Roma, who play Barcelona tomorrow, might claim to face a more formidable task in the last eight but the Italians have at least grown familiar with the competition’s knock-out rounds in recent seasons.

This will be Sevilla’s first ever appearance in a Champions League quarter-final.

“The team was not euphoric (at the draw),” Heynckes said. “They reacted very calmly, as though they just had a beer.

“Of course, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City are playing very well, Liverpool are playing well, but we had five English teams through and we were talking about the best league in the world – three of them are gone. So we must take these guys seriously.”

Sevilla were responsible for the least expected blow landed on the Premier League after they dumped out Manchester United in the last 16 following a fearless 2-1 win at Old Trafford.

It was also the high point of a topsy-turvy three months since Vincenzo Montella took charge mid-season.

There have been the home and away victories over Atletico Madrid in the Spanish King’s Cup and an early, thumping win at Espanyol. But there were also the five goals conceded to all three of Eibar, Real Betis and Atletico in the league, as well as a 2-0 loss at home to Valencia, which all-but ended any hopes of finishing in the top four.

Sevilla’s 2-2 draw at home to Barcelona on Saturday night was, in 90 minutes, a snapshot of Montella’s reign so far.

Brilliant for 87 minutes, they led 2-0 and looked certain to inflict Barca’s first La Liga defeat of the season, only to throw it away in two disastrous minutes at the end.

It was a thrilling match, which could have physical repercussions when they return to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan against Bayern.

For Bayern and Heynckes, it makes Sevilla a difficult threat to assess.

“The video analysts have to filter the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents and I’ll watch three or four opposition videos,” Heynckes said.

Manuel Neuer is back in training but this week is likely to come too soon for the goalkeeper, who has been out since September with a fractured metatarsal in his left foot.

“The injury has healed,” Heynckes said. “But we shouldn’t jump the gun, we will bring him up to speed step by step.” — AFP