Former Bayern Munich manager and current Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovač likes to play up his team as an underdog — and he did not disappoint with his Friday press conference ahead of Der Klassiker.
“FC Bayern are a top team that will demand a lot from us. We have to play a perfect game from the first to the last second, because that’s the ultimate standard in Europe. We need to take our second-half performance in Munich as a reference. We played well back then. We need to be brave in possession
and keep the ball for long spells. But it also depends on the opponent, who will certainly want to impose their game on us. It will be a very intense match for 90 minutes,” Kovač said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Kovač was also asked if there was any lingering effect from his team’s shocking Champions League elimination at the hands of Atalanta on Wednesday. The coach did not think that would be the case.
“We’ve worked through it with the players, but we’ve also said that the focus will be on the future. Now we have to focus on tomorrow’s game. We are all looking forward to it. We have a very fit squad. It was certainly a very intense match, mentally as well. But we will field eleven players who will give their all. They will do everything they can to beat the German champions here in our stadium with our fans,” Kovač stated.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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