Barcelona: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said on Tuesday he will show Barcelona forward Lionel Messi who is the “boss” when the two teams lock horns in the Champions League semi-final first leg match here on Wednesday.
It will be Neuer and Messi’s first meeting since Germany triumphed over Argentina in the World Cup final in 2014.
“I have a lot of respect for Messi and for everything that he has achieved. He is very humble, but it’s crucial to show authority when we meet on the pitch and show him who’s boss. I did the same in the World Cup final and this worked out pretty well,” Neuer was quoted as saying by Goal.com on Tuesday.
Neuer said he aims at a repeat performance of the World Cup final and hopes to make good use of his considerable physical presence.
“We will be looking to do the same on Wednesday. It is vital to obtain a position of dominance and instill respect. We have to make good use of our physical presence, our character and show a certain ruthlessness,” he said.
Bayern wrecked Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate in the Champions League semis when the two sides met two years ago, but Neuer believes the current Barcelona side are a better team than the 2013 vintage and it will be a tough encounter.
“The game against Barcelona is a final before the final. Our goal is to make it to the showpiece in Berlin. We dominated Barcelona in both legs in the semi-finals two years ago, but the situation has changed,” he said.
“This time, they have no injuries and Messi is back to his best, while we are missing several key players,” he said referring to the unavailability of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, David Alaba and Holger Badstuber.
“We know that we face a tough task, but I am confident we will get our chances.”
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is struggling to deal with the pressure of winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich, according to ex-Germany captain Stefan Effenberg.
Munich have won back-to-back German league titles under Guardiola, but the 44-year-old recently insisted that only the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles is enough to satisfy Bayern’s appetite.
Ex-Bayern star Effenberg, 46, says Guardiola’s occasionally eccentric behaviour on the sidelines shows he is struggling with the pressure to bring a sixth European title to Bayern.
Guardiola has raised a few eyebrows during his second season at Bayern by hugging the fourth official following heated exchanges in Bayern’s league win over Schalke last February and again in their German Cup semi-final defeat to Dortmund last week.
The Spaniard spends most of each match passionately encouraging his players from the sidelines, much to Effenberg’s disapproval.
“I am not a fan of Guardiola’s extreme coaching during games,” he told German magazine Kicker. “You have to trust your players, you have already prepared them for a match for days.
“On top of all that, Guardiola is also getting involved in discussions with the linesmen and fourth officials.
“That only further illustrates the immense pressure he is under.”
