Pernille Harder joined FC Bayern Women in the summer. Ahead of Sunday’s key Bundesliga encounter with Wolfsburg, fcbayern.com sat down with the Dane to talk about her recovery from injury, her first few months in Munich and the clash with her former club.
Interview with Pernille Harder
Pernille, you’re currently on the road to recovery from your injury. How’s your rehabilitation gone so far?
Pernille Harder: “It’s gone very well so far. I’m on track. Everything’s going as planned so far, and I feel better each day. I can feel how I’m always making progress. I’m very pleased and obviously looking forward to getting back out on the pitch soon.”
You’d scored three goals in your first four competitive appearances for Bayern prior to your injury. How at home to you feel at Bayern already?
“I’ve really enjoyed my start to life here in Munich. The team welcomed me in well and made it all really easy for me from the beginning. I was also able to familiarise myself with our style of play very quickly. It’s a shame I got injured so early in the season in Essen, but I’m looking ahead. When I’m back, I’d obviously like to pick up where I left off.”
Munich has been your home for around three months now. Have you been able to settle into your new home?
“Yes, I really like it here in Munich. The city is amazing. I’ve tried out lots of restaurants and cafes, and obviously also explored the city. There’s lots of great locations in Maxvorstadt in particular. I’m looking forward to the next years in Munich. It’s all very promising here.”
Sunday sees the big Bundesliga encounter with Wolfsburg, where you played between 2017 and 2020. You also played alongside the likes of Ewa Pajor and Alexandra Popp there. What makes the She-Wolves’ attack so good?
“We all know about the qualities of Wolfsburg’s attack. Ewa Pajor is incredibly quick and has a good finish. Alexandra Popp’s strengths are predominantly in the box. Her heading is very dangerous. We have to watch out for them from the start.”
Wolfsburg also won’t have it easy against your defence, which is the best in the division with only two goals conceded. What makes you so strong as a defence?
“I think we’re very solid as a team. That’s incredibly important for the whole season and is something we continuously want to work on. We have very good defenders in our team and a clear structure. The whole team places a lot of value on defensive work. I think that’s why we’re so strong at the back.”
Wolfsburg and Bayern are the dominant teams in women’s football in Germany, claiming the last 11 Bundesliga titles between them. Are there similarities between the clubs?
“Yes, definitely. The way you train at big clubs like Bayern, Wolfsburg or Chelsea is often very similar. Marks of all the top teams are an extraordinary mentality and attitude. You feel that every day, and it’s definitely a mark of the clubs.”
Wolfsburg suffered a shock elimination from the Champions League in the qualifiers. They have four wins and most recently a draw against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. What do you make of Wolfsburg’s form?
“Wolfsburg are a very good team. They’re always on it especially in these top games. We have to be ready. But I also think that we have a very strong team and we’ll bring our qualities on Sunday. We’re in good form and I firmly believe that we’ll leave the pitch as winners. But we obviously also know that we have to work hard for the win. It’ll be a tight game, but at the end of the day we’ll win. I’m looking forward to following the game in the stadium on Sunday.”
Read up on the facts ahead of the Wolfsburg game:
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