In the morning of February 18th the Bayern Munich players flew to Liverpool. Manager Niko Kovac took with him a squad of 21 players including their top goal scorer Robert Lewandowski. For the striker, the trip to Anfield will be a very special game.
“I am really looking forward to it. 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 the blow of the whistle for kick-off. 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.”
In the interview with uefa.com on the eve of Champions League Round of 16, Robert Lewandowski also drew many similarities between Liverpool and his former club Borussia Dortmund.
“When we were at Dortmund, we sometimes played defensively and waited to attack. We were like a bulldog. We waited until the opponents were a bit closer to us and we were ready to win the ball, break forward and then score.”
“I think this team [Liverpool] aren’t the same but are similar to the previous Dortmund team. You can’t compare the players – every team has different players. But what I meant is how they play with the ball from defence to attack and the style.”
The two clubs also have something else in common. Jurgen Klopp. “He made a huge impact on my career. I have to be thankful to him because of what we did together at [Borussia] Dortmund. We grew together and it’s led me to where I am today. He’s a great coach and a great person. I learned a lot from him.”
“He released that striker’s instinct in me and that allowed me to make the next step up. I didn’t know that I still had so much potential, more than I thought, and that means he saw something in me that I couldn’t see.»
Robert Lewandowski will be hoping to prove his former manager right once again as Bayern Munich look to maintain their record of reaching the last eight of the Champions League every season since 2012. Should he succeed, it would be at his former manager’s expense.
