Bayern have big ambitions in the Champions League
October 17, 2017
Having begun to get Bayern Munich's Bundesliga season back on track, Jupp Heynckes turns his attentions to the competition he won 1,607 days ago.
"It would be good to pick up from our performance on Saturday," Heynckes said in his press conference on Tuesday.
Heynckes confirmed Javi Martinez will miss Bayern's tie with Celtic (and Bayern's trip to Hamburg on Saturday) with a shoulder injury. Arturo Vidal has returned to selection though, after recovering from muscle stiffness. Sebastian Rudy and Corentin Tolisso are two further options to replace Martinez in midfield.
With Bayern's players lauding Heynckes' focus on the little things, the head coach appears to have injected life in the club in just a week. Although his contract only runs until the end of the season, questions are already being asked as to how far Heynckes can take this Bayern team a fourth time around.
Jerome Boateng, who also spoke on Tuesday, said: "The team is enjoying playing football again".
Looking back at previous success though, is not a mistake Heynckes is going to make any time soon.
"I have never watched the games back, Real against Juventus or Bayern against Dortmund. I live in the present and must say: of course this is a competition that tingles. The level is gigantic," the 72-year-old said.
Looking in to the past though, Heynckes' Champions League record is rather remarkable. In three years as a head coach in the Champions League, Heynckes has twice won the competition (2013 with Bayern, 1998 with Real Madrid) and once finished runner-up (2012 with Bayern).
After defeat to PSG saw Carlo Ancelotti fired, Bayern know more group stage slip-ups are not allowed. "We cannot make the mistake of underestimating Celtic," Heynckes said. After Germany's collectively poor showing on the European stage last week, Bayern will be hoping to be make all the right headlines this time out.