Bayern Munich have been riding high this season, finishing second in the Champions League group, reaching the DFB-Pokal semifinals and sitting pretty on top of the Bundesliga at the time of writing. Things were even better at the start of the season, as the Bavarians notched 16 wins in a row to start the campaign, culminating in a magnificent win over Paris Saint Germain. Union Berlin delivered a wake up call as Bayern barely rescued a point a few days later, but it would be Arsenal a couple of matches
later that would douse Die Rekordmeister with cold water. The Londoners’ 3-1 victory in the Champions League was a dominant one that saw them threaten with every set piece and dominate the second half in a way Bayern feel should never be possible against them.
The lesson was simple: No matter how good you are, you are never invincible.
That is a mindset Uli Hoeneß has also adapted. Asked by BILD (and captured by @iMiaSanMia) whether there were teams Bayern should fear in the Champions League, the Bavarians’ honorary president had this to say.
“We won’t get cocky. In the 1-3 defeat in London against Arsenal, we faced an opponent who was simply better on the day. And you can never underestimate clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, Barcelona, and Manchester City. They’re there when it matters, just waiting for the right moment.”
Nor did any of these teams eliminate Bayern last season, as Scottish champions Celtic came close to knocking tje 6-time winners out of the Champions League playoffs before Inter Milan ended their run in the quarterfinals. In the Champions League, there are many, many opponents that can beat you. So Bayern will need to be careful.
