Thomas Muller claims that Konrad Laimer’s marking against Martin Odegaard has helped change Bayern Munich’s recent fortunes.
Laimer was tasked with keeping the Arsenal star quiet during their Champions League quarter-final clashes last month, which the German side won.
He proved successful in doing so and helped Bayern progress to the semi-finals, where they are so far drawing 2-2 on aggregate against Real Madrid.
Champions League success is all that the German giants have left to play for this season as they have already missed out on winning the Bundesliga for the first time since 2012.
But success is still a possibility and when Muller spoke to CBS Sports Golazo on Tuesday night, Jamie Carragher reminded him of his passionate rant after Bayern lost 3-0 to Bayer Leverkusen.
He then asked what has changed for them since then to make them believe they can reach the Champions League final, and Muller said: “I think the games and the win over Arsenal gave us a little bit, kind of, self-confidence.
“Kind of… not the team spirit when you go out and drink a beer together, it gave us maybe the belief and maybe this kind of, I said this Konnie Laimer feeling, when he’s hunting Odegaard like a dog.”
The CBS studio laughed at his description, before Muller added: “Yeah, maybe you know this story. This kind of winning feeling gave us a little bit more belief in ourselves, to be a little bit more aggressive.
“In the last couple of weeks, two or three weeks, we’re in a good mood, we’re playing better, we’re playing not perfect but we’re playing better.”
Bayern drew 2-2 with Arsenal in their quarter-final first leg before Joshua Kimmich’s header gave Thomas Tuchel’s men a 1-0 win in the second leg to send them through.
Victory in their reverse fixture at Madrid next Wednesday will send them to their first Champions League final since 2020, in which they beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 to win their sixth European title.
Winning the biggest prize in club football would mark a successful end to Tuchel’s tenure as the German is set to leave the club in the summer.
He joined last March and swiftly won the Bundesliga title but a lack of success so far this season means a managerial change is on its way.
Tuchel already has experience of winning the Champions League having done so with Chelsea in 2021 after just four months in the job.
The German will surely be desperate to do so again this season in order to depart Bayern on a positive amid their recent struggles.
But they must first overcome another challenge against Madrid, with the winner to face either Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.