BAYERN MUNICH FACE SALAH’S LIVERPOOL
GERMAN SUPERCLUB’S COACH WARY OF MANE, FIRMINO AS WELL
BERLIN: Robert Lewandowski hopes to torment his mentor Jurgen Klopp when Bayern Munich face Liverpool in Tuesday’s Champions League clash.
Lewandowski, Bayern’s topscorer with 25 goals in 30 games this season, is relishing playing at Anfield when he leads the Germans’ attack in the last 16, first leg. “I know that their fans don’t want us or me to score a goal or win, but for me personally, in such an atmosphere I’m even more energised at kick-off,” he told UEFA.com. “That’s what makes it special for me and I’m excited to play in such a stadium. And if you win, it’s even better.”
Lewandowski arrived at Borussia Dortmund as a 21-yearold to work under current Liverpool boss Klopp when neither he, nor the German head coach, were yet household names.
“He made a huge impact on my career. I have to be thankful to him because of what we did together at Dortmund,” said Lewandowski. “We grew together and it’s led me to where I am today. He released that striker’s instinct in me and that allowed me to make the next step up.”
IN TOP FORM
Lewandowski scored eight goals in 33 games in his first Bundesliga season, when Klopp made his name with Dortmund’s first Bundesliga title for nine years.
More silverware followed in 2011/12 when Dortmund again won the title and added the German Cup with a 5-2 thumping of Bayern Munich in the final when Lewandowski scored a hat-trick. The Polish forward cemented his status as one of the world’s best strikers by scoring all four goals when Real Madrid were routed 4-1 on a golden night in the 2012/13 Champions League.
Dortmund went on to lose the final to Bayern at Wembley and Lewandowski signed for the Bavarian giants on a free contract a year later. He has now scored 176 goals in 225 games for Bayern.
Lewandowski sees the Anfield clash as a chance for Bayern to prove themselves after exiting the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid in the last two seasons. “When you’re playing
against Liverpool, a team that has so many good players, anything can happen. But for us, if we are ready 100 percent, anything can happen for us as well. In the round of 16, one mistake can make the difference.”
‘NOTHING PERSONAL’
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp spent seven years battling against Bayern in the Bundesliga but he says there is nothing personal at play in Tuesday’s Champions League clash here with the German champions. In his time as coach of Borussia Dortmund and before that Mainz 05, Klopp faced Bayern 29 times and earned just nine victories.
“There was never any negative thing with Bayern, but when we play each other and they buy our players, how can I be happy?” Klopp said on Monday.
Defender Mats Hummels and forward Robert Lewandowski were in Klopp’s Dortmund side in the 2013 final but are now with Bayern.
“I worked together with these boys. Two fantastic players. I have to be really thankful. Without them probably my career would not be the same,” he said.