The atmosphere at Bayern could not be better after wrapping up the championship title and making it to the DFB Cup final, and their semi-final opponents have noticed. "You have the feeling there's a good atmosphere in the club and in the team," said Toni Kroos, but the former Munich man hastened to add: "We're here to change that."
Real Madrid are confident ahead of the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday evening, but they have great respect for the German champions. "Bayern are in good form. They're top fit and play much more as a unit under Jupp Heynckes," analysed the 28-year-old.
Full squad for Zidane
"We have to live up to our full potential. They're not only a good team but also a great club. We know we might suffer a lot," according to Zinédine Zidane: "We know how strong Bayern are. We want to control the match so they can't impose their game," added the head coach.
After knocking out Paris Saint-Germain in the last sixteen and Juventus in the quarter-finals, the holders take on FC Bayern in the last four. Zidane was confident before the encounter, one of the reasons being the personnel situation. Only defender Nacho is rated doubtful, everybody else is available. "The team are in good shape, both mentally and physically," said the European and world champion: "We're in good form, we have to exploit it."
Praise for Heynckes
That goes for Bayern too, and Zidane credited his counterpart for it. "They've changed a lot under Heynckes. I have maximum respect for him, he's achieved great things. It's admirable," added the Frenchman.
"The atmosphere in the team is incredibly important, and Jupp Heynckes accomplishes it in a special way. I've witnessed it myself, and it's the reason why things are going smoothly again for them," added Kroos. But on Wednesday the midfielder will have no regard for his ties to Heynckes and FC Bayern.
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