Thomas Müller is a world champion. Thomas Müller is a Champions League winner. Thomas Müller is a four-time Bundesliga winner, soon to be five. Thomas Müller is a three-time DFB Cup winner.
Thomas Müller first and foremost is a professional, and part of that is dealing with defeats professionally. For example, processing FC Bayern München’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid, and the personal disappointment at having to start the game from the bench. Müller was not overjoyed that he was only able to play the final 20 minutes in the first leg, but he took it on the chin - like the professional he is. Tonight is the night for FC Bayern, as they bid to book their place in the Champions League final.
"We will channel our emotions effectively and really go for it on Tuesday," claimed Müller following the 1-1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. "We’ll see if it’s enough." Müller, who played 90 minutes on Saturday, was not able to celebrate the Bundesliga with his teammates, with the champagne being put on ice for one more week. Bayern had won 51 games in a row in which he had scored, a run that ended this weekend.
Müller: "Set off some fireworks"
Germany international Müller does not only share a name with club legend Gerd, he is also well on the way to becoming a legend himself. "I do of course have a very special relationship with the club," said Müller: "I am not the kind of player to go missing in big games." Müller wants to set an example tonight against Atletico, just like against Juventus when his stoppage-time goal forced the game into extra time.
Müller sees progression to the final as something that transcends just Bayern München. "We are the representatives of Germany now in the Champions League. We need to make sure we play as a team and as a club. We need to set off some fireworks on Tuesday, with our fans behind us. I am determined to reach the final," emphasised the 26-year-old.
It is hoped that history does not repeat itself. In 2014, Bayern bowed out of the competition after a 1-0 defeat in the semi-final first leg. In Madrid, Guardiola went without Müller, and in the Allianz Arena they were beaten 4-0. Last year, too, the semi-final was the end of the road for the record champions, who lost the first leg against Barcelona 3-0 and won the second 3-2.
Guardiola "loves to play with Thomas Müller"
"Müller always plays," was the opinion of former Bayern coach Louis van Gaal. Müller’s other former managers, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Jupp Heynckes, also view him as a crucial part of the team. "You really noticed that he wasn’t playing in the first leg. He scores important goals," said Hitzfeld, who was backed up by Heynckes : "Thomas instinctively finds the space and the crosses, he anticipates dangerous opportunities, and is a winner." Both Lewandowski and Müller have scored eight goals apiece in the Champions League so far, and Guardiola has publicly expressed his admiration for the World Cup winner: “I love playing with Thomas Müller, he has an eye for goal, and many special qualities."
It is these special qualities that have failed Bayern in recent times. "We have to admit that we are not at 100% at the moment," said Müller after the draw against Mönchengladbach. Perhaps Müller will be the key ingredient in the starting XI against Atletico. The World Cup winner is certainly hoping to make an appearance: "We need to be determined going forward, but can’t run forward blindly like children. We need to keep cool heads."