Emery: We have to respect Bayern, but they also respect us. Can Villarreal knock out the German giant?

It was definitely the biggest shock of the Champions League quarter-finals. Villarreal defeated Bayern Munich 1:0 at home, but not by a fluke, as they could have scored many more goals. Will the Bavarians be able to cope with a tenacious side in the return leg?

Villarreal is a very strong team. Practically the only thing that separates it from the very top in Spain is its balanced performance. It often loses points unnecessarily against weak opponents, but against strong ones it rises to the top. He’s the Robin Hood of football, taking from the rich and giving to the poor.

Los Groguets are having a dream season this year. After winning the Europa League, they qualified directly for the Champions League group stage, where they advanced at the expense of Atalanta and Young Boys Bern. They knocked out Juventus in the eighth round and beat Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. And it’s fair to say that this was not a game where Villarreal crawled back and scored a lucky goal from a breakaway.

The yellow submarine went ahead after a nice offensive action in the 8th minute, just before half-time they were already leading 2: 0, but the goal was eventually disallowed by VAR. Gerard Moreno had a hat-trick in the second half, first hitting the bar, then his shot from the penalty spot was blocked by Davies and then he narrowly missed the empty net after Neuer’s mistake from the middle of the park. Towards the end, Alfonso Pedraza threw away a great chance.

And Unaie Emery’s charges will want to take the same active approach to the game at the Allianz Arena, although they know full well that it will be a completely different game.

“We have to show Bayern tremendous respect. It will be a very difficult game and we have to be able to respond. We know they score a lot of goals at home. They also have respect for us, but they know that if they do their best, they are the favourites to win. They will feel strong and optimistic,” Emery said at the press conference.

“We can’t give Villarreal the time they need to find their rhythm,” Bayern coach Julius Nagelsmann said. “We have to be much more unpleasant as an opponent. But we shouldn’t talk about it too much, but rather show it on the pitch,” the 34-year-old coach added.

This match promises to be an extremely interesting spectacle, with Villarreal fans selling out all 1,500 tickets in the away section, many of whom will still arrive hoping to buy a ticket outside the stadium. So “El submarino amarillo” will have support in Munich. And can he write the next chapter of this tale? Nothing is impossible.

Source: UEFA