Champions League: No Chelsea repeat in final, vows Robben
Bayern forward confident team will not falter against Dortmund after Barca rout.
Bayern routed Barcelona 7-0 over two legs to secure the biggest semi-final aggregate win in Champions League history and set up a final clash against German rivals Dortmund. PHOTO: AFP
BARCELONA:
Bayern Munich’s stunning 7-0 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League will count for nothing if they do not go on to win the competition at Wembley later this month, said Arjen Robben.
The absence of Lionel Messi from the Barca starting line-up almost eradicated any hope of an unlikely comeback before the game had even begun, but Bayern showed their 4-0 first-leg win last week had been no fluke with a display of controlled dominance.
Robben opened the scoring for the visitors with a trademark left-foot strike just after half-time before a Gerard Pique own-goal and Thomas Mueller’s header in the final 20 minutes ensured Bayern booked their place in an all-German final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on May 25 in some style.
“We said immediately after the game ‘now we need to win it’,” said Robben. “We have played a superb season. Now we have to complete it on the 25th. We are in the final for the third time in four years but it’s time to win it now.”
Bayern were beaten by Chelsea on penalties on home turf in last year’s final and coach Jupp Heynckes said the painful defeat had given him the motivation to try to go one better this term.
“I was bitterly disappointed after losing the final last season but we started working straight away,” he said. “From the first day, you could tell that everyone was determined to change things.”
Barca don’t need major shake up: Vilanova
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said the semi-final humbling by Bayern will not prompt wholesale changes to the squad and the result would have been avoided had the team not been decimated by injury.
Barca suffered their worst ever European defeat over two legs in the last-four clash against the German champions, but were missing their Argentine World Player of the Year Messi for the 3-0 second-leg defeat at the Nou Camp.
Pre-tournament favourites Barca were also without defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets and longer-term injury casualties Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano, who play in central defence.
“I don’t think we need to change any players,” said Vilanova. “What we do need is to get our injured players back because they are top performers.
“Bayern Munich came here with all their players available but we are here without some of our key players. I still think our squad is very good.
“I am convinced that if we had been at 100 per cent we would have competed in a different way.”
Arjen Robben
“At this moment we are playing great football and we have to enjoy this. But we have to try to improve over and over again. We are in the final for the third time in four years but it’s time to win it now.”
Tito Vilanova
“What we do need is to get our injured players back. Bayern Munich came here with all their players available. I am convinced that if we had been at 100 percent we would have competed in a different way.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2013.
Bayern Munich’s stunning 7-0 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League will count for nothing if they do not go on to win the competition at Wembley later this month, said Arjen Robben.
The absence of Lionel Messi from the Barca starting line-up almost eradicated any hope of an unlikely comeback before the game had even begun, but Bayern showed their 4-0 first-leg win last week had been no fluke with a display of controlled dominance.
Robben opened the scoring for the visitors with a trademark left-foot strike just after half-time before a Gerard Pique own-goal and Thomas Mueller’s header in the final 20 minutes ensured Bayern booked their place in an all-German final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on May 25 in some style.
“We said immediately after the game ‘now we need to win it’,” said Robben. “We have played a superb season. Now we have to complete it on the 25th. We are in the final for the third time in four years but it’s time to win it now.”
Bayern were beaten by Chelsea on penalties on home turf in last year’s final and coach Jupp Heynckes said the painful defeat had given him the motivation to try to go one better this term.
“I was bitterly disappointed after losing the final last season but we started working straight away,” he said. “From the first day, you could tell that everyone was determined to change things.”
Barca don’t need major shake up: Vilanova
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said the semi-final humbling by Bayern will not prompt wholesale changes to the squad and the result would have been avoided had the team not been decimated by injury.
Barca suffered their worst ever European defeat over two legs in the last-four clash against the German champions, but were missing their Argentine World Player of the Year Messi for the 3-0 second-leg defeat at the Nou Camp.
Pre-tournament favourites Barca were also without defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets and longer-term injury casualties Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano, who play in central defence.
“I don’t think we need to change any players,” said Vilanova. “What we do need is to get our injured players back because they are top performers.
“Bayern Munich came here with all their players available but we are here without some of our key players. I still think our squad is very good.
“I am convinced that if we had been at 100 per cent we would have competed in a different way.”
Arjen Robben
“At this moment we are playing great football and we have to enjoy this. But we have to try to improve over and over again. We are in the final for the third time in four years but it’s time to win it now.”
Tito Vilanova
“What we do need is to get our injured players back. Bayern Munich came here with all their players available. I am convinced that if we had been at 100 percent we would have competed in a different way.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2013.