Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich unconvinced by Borussia Dortmund as Bayern Munich step up title challenge
The gap at the top of the Bundesliga may have stayed at six points last week after both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich won, but Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich both still believe the record champions will catch up with the league leaders.
The two Germany internationals insist Bayern will not give up their crown without a fight, especially since Dortmund still have to come to Munich on 6 April, and because they have not been all that convinced by their rivals' performances anyway.
"We've started [2019] well and we also know that Dortmund are not unbeatable," Neuer said at a charity event in Munich. "I think they showed signs of weakness in the first half of the season. They may not have dropped many points, but it was pretty tight for them on a few occasions.
"But it's important that we think of ourselves. We can't influence what happens at other football grounds all over Germany."
Kimmich agrees that BVB's 14 wins this season were not always eye-catching, even though he acknowledges that is also the trait of a true champion; a trait Bayern have shown over the years and one the 23-year-old is keen for them to rediscover.
"We've got to win our games and then when we play Dortmund we've got to beat them," he said. "I don't think that Dortmund have really been beating all their opponents convincingly, but they have been winning their games and that's a quality and that's what we've got to find again.
"We can't afford to slip up again and we want to carry on against Stuttgart, winning our games and in a way that gets people talking about Bayern."
Related news
Pass masters, 2024/25 edition
Dayot Upamecano and Minjae Kim boast stellar pass completion rates this season, but there is one defender in Germany's top flight who is outdoing the Bayern duo...
Kimmich wins December's Goal of the Month!
From Florian Wirtz to Jamie Gittens and more, there were some outstanding December goals to choose from, but Joshua Kimmich's strike against Leipzig takes the prize!
Neuer into all-time appearances top 10
The legendary Bayern goalkeeper made a milestone Bundesliga appearance in Saturday's meeting with arch rivals Dortmund.