 | Bayern Munich's home ground |
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Aberdeen will take on a Bayern Munich side which cost almost £50 million to assemble last summer. Manager Jimmy Calderwood insists his "have nothing to lose" when they take Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena tonight. The stage is set for a winner takes all game after Aberdeen secured a 2-2 draw at Pittodrie last week. A sell out 66,000 crowd will welcome both sides and although manager Calderwood wants his players to savour the occasion, he feels the only way to truly enjoy it would be to win. Aberdeen have played seven games in the UEFA Cup so far this season and, for many pundits, their run will end at eight. The Dons are rank outsiders, but that will not prevent Calderwood from believing his players "can make history". After arriving at the Allianz Arena, Calderwood said: "It is fabulous. I have been to a lot of new stadiums, and this is really amazing. It is great for the boys to be here and play against such a fantastic team, but it only counts if you win the game. You can only enjoy it if you sit in the bath afterwards having won. I am very proud and the boys have done wonderfully well in Europe. I am the eternal optimist and the lads have worked very hard, not just this season, but last season and over the last three years to get here. There is no pressure on us - it is all on them."
Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld insisted he had not been surprised by Aberdeen's performance at Pittodrie and will not be taking them lightly when they meet again either. The man Hitzfeld most fears is Omatsone Aluko who should be sure of his place in attack. The Bayern coach said: "I saw the Copenhagen game and he was the best player out there".Calderwood is under no illusions that Bayern will be treating this game very seriously. Speaking yesterday, he said: "They are a massive club in world football and I very much expect Bayern to field their strongest team tomorrow night. They will show us respect and they are far too good to underestimate us. Bayern will be stronger tomorrow night with (Mark) van Bommel and (Willy) Sagnol back."
For midfielder Barry Nicholson, pulling up outside the Allianz Arena was an experience he and his team-mates will never forget. He missed Aberdeen's game against Atletico Madrid in the group stages, but feels this one is going to be even bigger. He said: "To come in here on the bus was a great feeling. For the young lads in particular, it is great to come here and I cannot wait for the game to start tomorrow night." Although a win for Aberdeen would be considered a shock result, Nicholson believes the Dons have "got to take confidence" from the draw in Scotland. ,'' he said: "Nobody gave us a prayer. Considering the result, I think we surprised a few people last Thursday and I hope we can do the same again tomorrow. We have confidence in the dressing room and everybody is getting a buzz. The stadium is full tomorrow and that will give us a lift. I am sure we will be up for it tomorrow night."
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