Bayern Munich ace Serge Gnabry is wary of the ‘pace’ and the individual brilliance of Manchester United ahead of tonight’s Champions League group-stage clash at the Allianz Arena.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference earlier in the week, Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel was at pains to highlight Manchester United’s ‘outstanding’ threat on the counter attack; the guile of Bruno Fernandes, the speed of Marcus Rashford, plus the movement of Rasmus Hojlund.
And, with the former Chelsea boss keen to play down United’s poor recent form, Gnabry struck a similar tone, insisting that the Bundesliga champions cannot afford to ‘underestimate’ a team desperate to bounce back after successive domestic defeats to Arsenal and Brighton.
Manchester United take on Bayern Munich
“United have brilliant individual players,” Gnabry tells the Bayern Munich website, indicating the nous of Fernandes, Christian Eriksen and co. “A lot of talent and a lot of pace up front. They’ve also got a few midfielders with a lot of Premier League experience.
“We absolutely shouldn’t underestimate them, and we’re not (going to). We need to be at our best.
“We want to lay down a marker straight away and collect the three points. The fact we’re starting at home at the Allianz Arena against, in theory, the strongest opponents in the group is an advantage for us.
“We’ve always been very convincing in the Champions League group stage in recent years. We want to keep that going.”
A big test awaits Erik ten Hag’s side
Gnabry, who remembers coming up against Ryan Giggs when still a teenager at Arsenal, has often saved his best displays for those nights under the European lights.
With 15 goals in the Champions League, the one-time West Brom loanee ranks among the competition’s top 150 all-time goalscorers. Six of those, meanwhile, came during just two games against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea back in 2019/20.
“(Manchester United’s) results so far don’t say much about them. You can never be sure in a game against United,” Tuchel adds.
“When you think you’re in control, they can sit deep and rely on their outstanding transition game, with Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and now Rasmus Hojlund up front. We can never switch off.
“United are always dangerous. They have a lot of individual quality.”
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