Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde knows the magnitude of his team’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich.
At Real Madrid, players just seem to know how to handle this time of year.
“Every opponent is strong in this competition. Every team deserves respect, especially Bayern Munich, who’ve won many titles. They’re a team who are always ready to give their all. We need to respect them just as much as Manchester City in the quarter-final. We have a lot of quality and will try our best to reach the final,” said Valverde (as captured by Madrid Xtra via @iMiaSanMia). “I trust the team. We know we’ve got a very good opponent in Bayern, who we need to respect. They have great players. But we back ourselves and can reach the final. It’s my first time playing against Bayern and I’m looking forward to it. I try to appreciate moments like this. It’s a big honour to get to play in games like this.”
One player who Valverde and his mates will be keeping an eye on is Bayern Munich phenom Jamal Musiala.
“It’s difficult to stop him. He’s very young but he has already achieved so many things – you have to respect him. Hopefully we will stop him and we will be better than them. He’s a player who will mark an era,” said Valverde.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s massive Champions League showdown with Real Madrid? We’ve got you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show, where we dive into the game, Bayern Munich’s tenuous injury situation, a guess on Thomas Tuchel’s lineup, and a prediction on the game. Check it out on Spotify or below: