The Bundesliga title has finally been ticked off since last Sunday and Bayern’s focus is now clearly on the Champions League. Because everything is still up for grabs just before the quarter-final second leg against Arsenal London on Wednesday! From Herbert Hainer’s point of view, Bayern even have a realistic chance of winning the title this season.
One day before the clash with the Gunners in the Allianz Arena, confidence is back in the Munich camp. They did their homework in the league on Saturday with a 2-0 win against 1. FC Köln in more or less commanding fashion and were particularly encouraged by their good performance in the quarter-final first leg in London last week. Tuchel’s team showed that, despite a difficult season overall, they can still go all the way, at least in the Champions League.
With the 2-2 draw, FCB, together with their own supporters behind them, created a more than decent starting position for the second showdown with Arsenal. The Londoners themselves ruined their dress rehearsal and surprisingly lost 2-0 at home to Aston Villa on Sunday, which resulted in them losing their lead at the top of the table.
Hainer relies on the support of the FCB fans
The maths for Wednesday evening is simple: whoever wins, whether after 90 minutes, extra time or a penalty shoot-out, will progress: „In London, we saw once again what the team is capable of and that it can play at the top of Europe,“ Herbert Hainer looked back in the „tz“ interview. „Now we have a second leg in our Allianz Arena on Wednesday that everyone is looking forward to. Together with the fans, anything is possible,“ the FCB president emphasised.
In order to reach the next round, however, another top performance is required. If this is the case, Hainer even believes that the final on 1 June at Wembley Stadium in London, and therefore a major coup, is possible. „Yes, in the form of the first leg against Arsenal, I believe the team can do it! We are FC Bayern. Of course, you always need that little bit of luck in the Champions League,“ said the 69-year-old. „But the fact that we’re able to hold our own against the Premier League leaders – the strongest league in the world – shows what’s possible when everyone gives it their all.“
In the semi-finals (30 April or 1 May and 7 or 8 May), either Real Madrid or Manchester City would be waiting, which FCB would then have to get out of the way. The two big names drew 3-3 in the first leg, but there is still a long way to go.