Bayern Munich footballer said the clash with Manchester United will not be so easy for his team as well as everyone expects, and the absence of Robin van Persie will not make the Red Devils attack less dangerous.
The grouping at Old Trafford crosses a poorly 2013-2014 season, at least in England, where they are in a weak position in the Premier League standings (No. 7) and are out of the Cups. However, they managed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals after twisted a 0-2 against Olympiakos.
The hero of the match in Manchester, which ended 3-0 to the hosts, was Robin van Persie, who scored three times in that game, player who is injured at the moment.
Even in the absence of his colleague from the national team, who is a very important man in United’s attack, Arjen Robben sees the duel with the English side not as simple as it seems to be.
“In a game like this, form goes out of the window. In the previous round United lost 2-0 at Olympiakos then won at home 3-0,” the Dutch player told the Bavarians’ official web site.
“We must be careful. In the media and the public it’s general consensus that Manchester United are not in good shape, but they have reached the quarter-finals here.
“But I do not think like this – this is a difficult duel! We need to perform from the first minute and put in a top performance. You need to be careful or you can lose against United.”
About the absence of Van Persie, Robben added: “I spoke to Robin a little bit since the draw, but not much because of his injury. It’s a pity he will not be playing.
“In the final phase of the season everybody wants to be fit and if they’re not it’s painful, I know from experience.
“Of course Van Persie has a special quality, but they have other forward options like Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Nani and Antonio Valencia. As I said, it will be a tough duel but we are eager to face them.” concluded Robben.