Manuel Neuer: 'Going into league phase to qualify directly'

FC Bayern will face Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Benfica, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb, Feyenoord, Slovan Bratislava and Aston Villa in the league phase of the Champions League following Thursday’s draw in Monaco. “They will be very exciting matches against extremely good opponents. But we're going into the new league phase confident of qualifying automatically,” captain Manuel Neuer, setting the tone straight away. “It's a very interesting and exciting format that could be thrilling right to the end,” said board member for sport Max Eberl. fcbayern.com has all the reaction from FC Bayern to the draw.

Bayern reaction to Champions League draw

Jan-Christian Dreesen (CEO): “We're happy with the opponents we've been drawn against. I've just told Nasser Al-Khelaifi from PSG that we're almost like an old married couple in the Champions League, because we're always involved with each other. It’ll certainly be an exciting encounter. I'm happy that we have this game at home. For me personally, the encounter with Aston Villa is very appealing. The last time we played them was in the final 42 years ago. Most honestly, our first priority is the Bundesliga. But we have a dream of reaching the Champions League final in Munich.

Max Eberl (board member for sport): “It's a very interesting and exciting format that can be thrilling right to the end. We're delighted to be meeting a former Bayern coach in Barcelona in Hansi Flick. We can also expect a great game at home against Paris Saint-Germain. We have a positive record against all the teams except Bratislava, who we've never played, and Aston Villa, because we lost the final against them in 1982. So, this will be a historic reunion, and we'll do everything we can for a better outcome for us this time.”

Christoph Freund (sporting director): “Our opponents are very balanced, with two absolute top teams in Paris and Barcelona. There are also some very interesting away games, including away in Rotterdam and at Aston Villa, with two very atmospheric stadiums. It's a very exciting new format for the Champions League. We are looking forward to the new season in this competition.”

Manuel Neuer: “They will be very exciting matches against extremely good opponents. But we're going into the new league phase confident of qualifying automatically. We want to show how we stand against the other teams and how we can win, especially the games against those from Pot 1. Barcelona and PSG have started the season well. We'll be seeing Hansi Flick and his coaching team again, and we're looking forward to that, especially away in Barcelona. With Donetsk, we have a team that has been in the Champions League for years. The game will take place in Gelsenkirchen, which is of course a home game for me and very special. Benfica are a very strong team that have often shown in recent years that they’re always capable of reaching the knockout phase. We also already have experience against Zagreb. Bratislava will certainly take a boost from getting through qualifying. As for Aston Villa, our English guys will be particularly pleased about getting to play in England.”

Joshua Kimmich: “There are some teams we haven't played that often. I'm particularly looking forward to the reunion with Hansi Flick and Barcelona, as well as the clash against Paris. For me, those are the two strongest opponents, but you can't underestimate any of the other clubs. They could all be very close games. Nevertheless, our aim must be to qualify automatically for round of 16. And what could be better than playing in the final in May 2025 at the Allianz Arena, in our own stadium?”