At 3:00 am Beijing time on October 3, Bayern Munich will usher in the second round of the UEFA Champions League stage, and they will challenge Aston Villa on the road. Before the match, Bayern striker Gnabry attended the team's press conference, sharing his current form, expectations for the match and his thoughts on coach Vincent Kompany.
Gnabry says he has been in much better shape over the last few weeks and months than he was at the end of the second half of last season. He's feeling good this season and after a long break his body is now in tip-top shape and he's looking forward to playing again. Although missing out on the Europa League pains him, he is ready to put the past behind him and move on.
Speaking about whether he is looking forward to returning to the Germany roster, Gnabry said that there is nothing worse than missing the Euros on German soil. But he would be very happy to play for Germany again.
Asked what has changed for him during Kompany's reign, Gnabry said that his position hasn't changed much, but the team is playing well and dominating now. They want to have as much possession as possible and stay efficient up front. He is happy with the team's current form and believes they have nothing to complain about right now.
Regarding the upcoming match, Gnabry said that Aston Villa is a very strong team and under Emery's leadership, they have been very consistent and physical lately. It's going to be a very tough, very tough game because Villa's defense is very good. He expects to feel the warm atmosphere of the Old Stadium in tomorrow's match and be ready to tackle this challenge.
On whether he has considered leaving Bayern this summer, Gnabry was adamant that he has never thought about leaving Bayern, even though some rumors started to surface. He emphasized that he still has two years left on his contract at Bayern and he intends to continue playing for them.
Speaking about his thoughts on coach Kompany, Gnabry said that Kompany requires them to have a strong desire to win and play with high intensity so that they don't give their opponents any chances. That's what sets them apart and it feels great to be able to dominate a game again. In recent years, Bayern have not been able to maintain this form for a long time, but now they are working towards that goal.
Finally, Gnabry looked back on his time playing in England. He said that he was young when he first joined Arsenal and then joined West Bromwich, but didn't play much and didn't turn out too well. However, he met great people which inspired him to show what he could do. The experience of difficult times always made him more eager to succeed and motivated him to keep going. He understands that you can learn from everything, whether it's a good moment or a bad one.
