Reaction to Champions League round of 16 draw: 'Interesting tie against a top Italian side'

FC Bayern will face Atalanta in the Champions League round of 16. The Italian side edged past Borussia Dortmund in the play-offs, while the Bavarians already qualified for the last 16 directly by finishing in one of the top places in the league phase. Now the two clubs meet for the first time ever. fcbayern.com has garnered the reaction from the Bayern players and management to the draw.

Bayern reaction to Champions League draw

Christoph Freund (sporting director): “It’s going to be a very interesting tie against a top Italian side. We’ve never played against each other before and look forward to the meeting. You saw in the play-offs against Dortmund how strong Atalanta are at home especially. The team can generate tremendous pressure and play very aggressively with high quality. But we’ll prepare well and focus on Bergamo. We know it won’t be easy but if we bring our energy and performance to the pitch, we have a good chance of reaching the next round.”

Manuel Neuer: “We've had time now to watch the matches, including Atalanta against Dortmund – Dortmund are obviously our next opponents in the Bundesliga and now Atalanta are in the Champions League. We've seen how well they played at home. What’s impressive is that they make a lot out of little and I think, on their day, they can move mountains. That’s why it’s not a bad thing that the first leg is in Bergamo, then after that we’ll know where we stand. We’re looking forward to an international clash. Of course, playing against an Italian team has more of a Champions League feel than playing against a German like Leverkusen.”

Jonathan Tah: “I’ve played against Atalanta before, they’re good opponents who play with high intensity. We’ve also seen in the games against Dortmund what they’re capable of. I’m looking forward to the tie! Having home advantage in the second meeting only plays a small role for me – at the end of the day, it’s about winning over two legs and progressing. Even though it obviously would’ve been special for me against Leverkusen, I find an Italian opponent in the Champions League better than an all-German clash.”