Thomas Muller has claimed ‘things always go well’ for Bayern Munich when they face Lionel Messi, after the German champions knocked Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League.
Bayern held a 1-0 lead from the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie, which they extended at the Allianz Arena.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry scored in the second half to secure a 2-0 win on Wednesday night, with Bayern advancing 3-0 on aggregate.
Muller said post-match that Bayern tend to get the better of Messi’s sides, compared to when they faced his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
‘Against Messi, things always go well at all levels in terms of results,’ Muller told reporters.
Thomas Muller captained Bayern Munich to a 3-0 aggregate victory over Paris Saint-Germain
Muller post match revelled in his impressive record against teams featuring Lionel Messi
Bayern eased past the French champions to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals
‘At club level, Cristiano Ronaldo was our problem when he was at Real Madrid.
‘But I have the greatest respect for Messi’s World Cup performance.
‘Messi’s individual performance at the World Cup was amazing. He carried the whole squad.
‘It’s not so easy to play at a team like PSG. It’s difficult to get a really good team balance.’
Muller has played against sides featuring Messi in matches during his career, including being a key part of Germany’s World Cup winning squad in 2014, which beat Argentina in the final.
Bayern Munich and Muller will await the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals
Cristiano Ronaldo scored nine goals in eight games against Bayern in the Champions League
The forward has also faced Messi six times in Champions League knock-out stage matches, winning five and losing one.
Bayern memorably crushed Barcelona 8-2 in Messi’s final Champions League appearance for the club before his move to PSG.
Ronaldo had faced Bayern on eight occasions while at Real Madrid, winning five, drawing one and losing just twice.
The Portuguese legend scored nine goals in the eight games, with five goals coming in two legs in 2017 as Real Madrid eliminated Bayern in the quarter-finals.
