By Daily sports on August 8, 2020
Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer says he hopes the Bavarians giants can convince Liverpool target, Thiago Alcantara, to stay beyond the end of this season’s Champions League title.
Having won the Bundesliga title in each of his seven seasons at Bayern since joining from Barcelona in 2013, Alcantara, 29, is stalling overextension talks with a year left on his contract.
The midfield playmaker has been linked to English Premier League champions, Liverpool.
Bayern host Chelsea on Saturday in the last 16, return leg of the Champions League holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg in London last February before the coronavirus pandemic halted the competition.
Alcantara is back in the Bayern team after groin surgery in June and Neuer “hopes” the Champions League campaign is not the Spanish international’s swansong for the German giants.
“Thiago had an operation but is now fully back. He makes a good impression and he can be the engine in our midfield system,” said Neuer, Bayern’s goalkeeper and captain, in Munich on Friday.
Team-mate Thomas Mueller has already said it would be “bitter” should Alcantara leave Bayern after their European campaign.
With right-back Benjamin Pavard injured, Germany international Joshua Kimmich will drop into the defence with Thiago taking his central midfield place.
Having already won an eighth straight Bundesliga title and lifted the German Cup this season, Bayern is chasing the treble and are among the favourites from the Champions League title.
Should they see off injury-hit Chelsea to reach the quarter-finals, Bayern face Barcelona or Napoli in Lisbon next Friday in a straight knock-out tie.
“First we have to get through against Chelsea,” said Neuer with Bayern on a 12-match winning streak, including last Friday’s 1-0 friendly win over Marseille.
“Then there are knockout games, they are always like finals.
“It also depends on the form of the day. There are very top-class teams and every mistake can be punished.
“We’re very positive, looking forward to what’s coming and are in good shape.” (AFP)
•PHOTO: Manuel Neuer
Source Daily sports
Posted August 8, 2020
You may also like...
Neymar, Mbappe score as PSG see off Toulouse...
Sevilla breathe down Barcelona’s neck in La Liga...
Roma Brush Aside Cagliari to Move Into Serie...
Burnley Stun Liverpool At Anfield
Arsenal suffers food poisoning in China
ENUGU STATE END-OF-YEAR FOOTBALL TOURNEY GETS DATE
Aribo ready to fight for EPL survival
Adesanya vows to make UFC return after third straight loss
We Apologize To Our Father Dr Peter Odili On Behalf Of His Children Who Have Gone Astray – Edison Ehie
Aston Villa closing in on Rashford loan deal
Adesanya aims for comeback as UFC lands in Saudi
Alonso delighted with Boniface stay
EPL: Wood’s hat-trick fires Nottingham Forest to 7-0 thrashing of Brighton
PDP Governors Announce Date For Party’s NEC Meeting
PDP governors back Appeal Court verdict, endorse Ude Okoye as national secretary
Everton plot £33m Awoniyi move
Barcelona’s Pedri extends contract to 2030
Boniface rejoins Leverkusen training after failed Saudi transfer
Most Read
Rangers International going, going . . . (55,270 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,426 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,456 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,101 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (44,052 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (44,039 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,849 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,413 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,501 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,150 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,591 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (39,022 views)