Thomas Müller has a maximum of three games left to play for FC Bayern. But his focus is first on Saturday’s quarter-final against Paris St. Germain.
“The French are obviously a force to be reckoned with. It’s no coincidence that they won the Champions League final against Inter 5-0 and lifted the trophy,“ writes Thomas Müller in his personal newsletter, yet he still sees the outcome of Saturday’s game (6 p.m.) in Atlanta as wide open. ”Both teams are in good shape and know each other’s qualities inside out. I see the matchup as very evenly balanced.”
Müller has played in all four games of the current tournament, playing over 90 minutes in the opener against Auckland (10-0) and in the last group game against Benfica (0-1), while he came on as a substitute against Boca Juniors (2-1) and in the round of 16 against Flamengo (4-2).
The 35-year-old is unlikely to start against PSG, but that doesn’t bother him because, unlike in the Bundesliga, “in big tournaments like this, it’s all about the short term. So if you’re given the role of seeing out a hard-fought game in the final quarter of an hour, there’s little point in thinking about what that means for squad policy.“
Müller emphasizes that he enjoys ”having a real tournament experience with the team, which has grown together over the years anyway. With all the staff and all the players together – it creates a unique atmosphere.“
Müller on the importance of soccer in the US
Müller also noticed that the stadiums were rarely full during the Club World Cup. But he’s not surprised. ”To be honest, soccer doesn’t have the same status in the US as it does here in Europe. Basketball, football, and baseball dominate here,“ explains Müller, adding: ”The stadiums are sometimes half empty—that’s unthinkable in the Bundesliga. Nevertheless, you can still feel the atmosphere that can build up during prestigious games. So we’re excited to see what happens in the quarterfinals against PSG in Atlanta.”
