Anfield is known for its rocking atmosphere, especially on European nights, and there will be a big one coming this week Liverpool fans will see their team file out against Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich, in a UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg tie. Going by the words of a Bayern Munich star, however, fans of the Reds may just want to avoid making the wrong kind of noise on Tuesday.
That is because Bayern Munich’s lethal striker, Robert Lewandowski is relishing playing at Anfield when he leads the Germans’ attack in the round of 16 first leg clash. “I know that their fans don’t want us or me to score a goal or win, but for me personally, in such an atmosphere I’m even more energised at kick-off,” the Poland international told UEFA.com. “That’s what makes it special for me and I’m excited to play in such a stadium. And if you win, it’s even better.”
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He added: “When you’re playing against Liverpool, a team that has so many good players, anything can happen. But for us, if we are ready 100 percent, anything can happen for us as well. “In the round of 16, one mistake can make the difference.”
Lewandowski is also hoping to torment his former mentor, Jurgen Klopp, who is Liverpool manager. “He made a huge impact on my career. I have to be thankful to him because of what we did together at Dortmund,” said Lewandowski of Klopp. “We grew together and it’s led me to where I am today. “He released that striker’s instinct in me and that allowed me to make the next step up. “I didn’t know that I still had so much potential, more than I thought, and that means he saw something in me that I couldn’t see.”
He arrived Borussia Dortmund as a 21-year-old to work under current Liverpool boss Klopp when neither he, nor the German head coach, were yet household names. He scored eight goals in 33 games in his first Bundesliga season, when Klopp made his name with Dortmund’s first Bundesliga title for nine years. More silverware followed in 2011/12 when Dortmund again won the title and added the German Cup with a 5-2 thumping of Bayern Munich in the final when Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in Berlin.
The prolific Polish then cemented his status as one of the world’s best strikers by scoring all four goals as Real Madrid were shocked in a 4-1 demolition on a golden night in the 2012/13 Champions League semi-final match. However, Dortmund went on to lose the final to Bayern Munich at Wembley with Lewandowski signing for the Bavarian giants afterwards on a free contract a year later. He has now scored 176 goals in 225 games for Bayern Munich.
