Wonderkid Jamal Musiala has cautioned Bayern Munich to be wary of Nicolas Kuhn, predicting that his former teammate could soon make waves in the German national team setup, as reported by Michael Gannon.
The duo were part of the Bayern II squad that clinched the Bundesliga third division title in 2020. At the time, Musiala was a young talent who eventually broke into Bayern’s senior team and earned a spot in the German national team, while Kuhn moved to Celtic after an impressive stint at Rapid Vienna.
The two will face off again on Tuesday in the Champions League play-off second leg at the Allianz Arena.
Musiala is fully aware of the threat posed by his old teammate. He said: “Nicolas played really well against us last week. At Bayern II, I was 16 or 17 and he was already a big character. We spoke together a lot, had games together and I’ve been delighted to see how he has progressed since then.”
At just 21 years old, Musiala is already one of Germany’s standout players, and he believes Kuhn has the potential to catch the eye of national team coach Julian Nagelsmann. He said: “Everything is possible. Julian (Nagelsmann) has a lot of players to choose from, guys who are playing well, so it’s a decision for him.”
Musiala is one of the most sought-after talents in world football, and his performance in Germany’s 5-1 thrashing of Scotland in the opening game of the Euros still haunts the Tartan Army.
Musiala is eager to deliver more pain to Scottish fans, saying: “I had a lot of fun that night. It was definitely one of my favourite games of my career so far.
“We wanted to start the tournament strongly, we knew what we had to bring and after a while it started to be, yeah, a lot of fun. We got into a good rhythm and we made things happen. So hopefully we have the same kind of fun this time too.”
Bayern are in a strong position to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, but the pressure is on them to finish the job against Celtic and push for a place in the final, which will be held at their home ground.
Musiala said: “It won’t be an easy game, that’s for sure. We experienced that in Glasgow, so we know what’s coming here. We need to be fresh, to be mentally prepared and we have to give 100 percent, to keep on going, to start strong and hopefully get the win.
“No one wants excuses. We’re always well prepared and ready to perform as well as possible.
“I think for us it’s always about focussing on ourselves, about getting our habits right, about bringing the right energy and intensity – and then we can adapt to how the opposition plays.
“We know what we can do, which is what matters most. Of course, everyone wants to reach the final, but we can’t look ahead that far. It’s step by step and the next step is beating Celtic.”
