FC Red Bull Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch has heaped praise on reigning UEFA Champions League winners, Bayern Munich. Die Bullen are currently sitting at the bottom of group A with one point.
The Austrian Bundesliga champions were able to snatch their only point from the group stage opener against Lokomotiv Moscow. However, they suffered a 3-2 defeat in their following fixture to La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid, and now host Bayern at the Red Bull Arena.
Speaking ahead of the tie, Salzburg manager Marsch says that the Bavarians are currently a team “without weaknesses.” The German giants have triumphed in both of their outings in Europe and are likely to win the group.
Ihr seht:
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Marsch, who will be without young striker Patson Daka, believes that it will be a “great test” for his side, against “the best team in the world.”
The home side will surely be drawing inspiration from Lokomotiv Moscow. If it weren’t for Joshua Kimmich’s spectacular long range strike, the Russians would have managed to hold Die Roten to a 1-1 draw after a resilient showing.
“We will play our strong football, courageously and aggressively,” Marsch, who has previously managed New York Red Bulls and Montreal Impact, declared on Monday.
Salzburg veteran Zlatko Junuzovic also spoke highly of Hansi Flick’s men. A free-kick specialist, Junuzović faced the Reds on numerous occasions in his six-year stint with Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. The 33-year-old went on to highlight his opponent’s winning mentality in the interview.
“What distinguishes Bayern is their mentality, the winning gene,” said the experienced player.
A former Austria international, Junuzović will be looking forward to meeting his national team comrade, David Alaba.
“They want to win every game, every title. But anything can happen in a game”, the midfielder told pre-match,” Junuzović remarked.
The group stage meeting will be Salzburg’s first competitive clash with Bayern in Europe. The hosts thumped Swarovski Tirol 5-0 in their dress rehearsal for the Tuesday evening’s match.
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The Bavarians will be unfortunately without center-back Niklas Sule and midfielder Leon Goretzka. Jerome Boateng and Corentin Tolisso are the two obvious candidates to take their spot.