Most of the Bayern squad will forget the 2-1 win against Anderlecht pretty quickly, but Marco Friedl certainly won’t. Not only did the Austrian play in the first Champions League game of his career, but it was his first competitive appearance for the first team. “It was wonderful to walk out with the team and hear the anthem,” beamed the 19 year-old, who revealed that he kept his shirt as a memento. “It’s something I will never forget.”
“I had goosebumps when the anthem came on,” added the full-back. With David Alaba and Rafinha injured and Juan Bernat rested having just come back from injury, Friedl was given his chance. His selection came as a surprise, though.
Praise from all sides
After the final training session before the match, Heynckes asked him if he felt ready to play. “Absolutely,” was the youngster’s confident reply. The U21 international had been dreaming of the Champions League the night before, and the following day it became reality. Friedl gave a good account of himself, although he admitted to feeling a few nerves in the build-up.
“I’d been thinking about the game non-stop,” he explained. But he received lots of praise from his teammates. “I think he had a good game, he got stuck in and won lots of tackles,” said Sebastian Rudy. “He was aggressive and defensively very strong. He impressed me,” agreed Robert Lewandowski.
Friedl himself found little to criticise. “I’m happy with my performance overall. The management also told me I played well and that they’re happy with me.” The left-footer started his professional career with a win and Lewandowski is sure it won’t be his last appearance. “He’s ready to fight for a first-team place at Bayern.”
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