Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng spoke to L’Equipe ahead of their Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, saying the Ligue 1 outfit have to be considered as a favourite for the competition.
“With City, Real Madrid and Barcelona, they’re one of the main contenders. Today, a lot of people see a Paris-Manchester City final, but things can change in six months. Right now, with all our injured players, we’re not among the favourites, but when we have a full squad, we’ll have the potential to go all the way,” said Boateng.
“They have a squad full of quality. They’re also a club that has become very consistent. At the Parc, I felt that it’s the whole club that is coming up with the real support of the fans and a great stadium. In terms of potential, they’re right up there at the top with Manchester City right now. But spending enormous sums of money in the transfer market doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll go all the way in the competition.”
And despite the fact Bayern can still top the group with a four-goal margin, Boateng played down the objective of topping the group, instead just aiming to win in front of their home fans.
“It’s not our objective to finish top of the group. It’s rather to win this last game in front of our own fans against one of the best teams in Europe,” says Boateng.
“Regardless of the score, a win would already be a signal, especially as PSG have been so impressive and we still have quite a few players injured. If ever we manage to do it, it would be a small miracle.”
Boateng on PSG-Bayern… “PSG were much better than us. Of course the final score was a bit harsh given the balance of play, but we made a mess of the start of the game. We struggled in challenges and the Paris goals were scored too easily. When we upped the tempo, I felt the Paris defence was fragile.”
Boateng on Jupp Heynckes… “Training sessions and communication are radically different. In a short space of time, Jupp has put the club back on the rails by organising things, introducing discipline and structure. The atmosphere has become warmer and is more like a family. He has done us a lot of good.”
