Leon Goretzka says he’s happy to draw Chelsea in the Champions League

In an interview with SPOX (via Goal) Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka was asked myriad questions regarding the German Rekordmeister. Among the topics discussed were the club’s coaching situation, the impending arrival of Alexander Nübel in the summer, and Bayern’s upcoming game against Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16.

On facing the Londoners, Goretzka said,

I was very happy about the draw, Chelsea is an attractive opponent. We are confident that we can do it.

Bayern, of course, was knocked out of the UCL by Premier League opposition last season. Liverpool however is a different kind of beast, and Goretzka himself missed much of that tie on account of injury. This time around, the 24-year-old wishes to make it much further in Europe. “We want to go further than last year, when we immediately got the winner in the round of 16,” he said.

One of the chief differences from last year will be the man in charge. Hansi Flick took over from Niko Kovac mid-season, and he has orchestrated an impressive uptick in performances since then. Like the rest of his teammates, Goretzka was full of praise for his new coach:

He works very meticulously, very calmly and with a high level of social competence. He looks for discussions with the players and gives everyone a good feeling. It works very well at the moment.

On the subject of whether Hansi could be given a permanent contract, Goretzka said, “Of course I can imagine that. I’ve known him for a very, very long time and I think he can do it.”

Finally, on the subject of Bayern’s latest free acquisition from Schalke, Alexander Nübel, the midfielder had this to say:

I think Alex is a top goalkeeper, that was what he was like when he came to Schalke from Paderborn.

It quickly became clear that he was also mentally strong. That is the basic requirement to make it at Bayern.

It is certainly not easy to displace a top Bundesliga keeper like Ralf Fährmann. He has proven at Schalke that he can handle pressure situations. That’s what you would expect from a modern goalkeeper. I met him as a very, very good goalkeeper, with a clear head and clear thoughts.

Goretzka himself arrived at Bayern from Schalke on a free transfer in the summer of 2018. In his view, Nübel made the right decision to join Bayern Munich, despite potential competition from Manuel Neuer:

He strives for the maximum and in Germany there is nothing above FC Bayern.

Accordingly, he intends to play for the best German club and the step is therefore logical in my mind.