Eric Dier couldn’t hide his satisfaction after helping Bayern Munich eliminate old rivals Arsenal from the Champions League.
The Tottenham loanee, currently at Bayern with a permanent move pending this summer, earned UEFA’s man of the match award as his team secured a 1-0 victory in Wednesday’s second leg, courtesy of Joshua Kimmich’s powerful header. With Bayern advancing to face Real Madrid in the semi-finals. Arsenal’s European campaign came to an end, much to the delight of Spurs supporters.
Despite his temporary status at Tottenham under manager Ange Postecoglou, Dier openly expressed his allegiance to Spurs after the match. When asked by Sky Sports if defeating Arsenal added extra satisfaction. The 30-year-old grinned and chuckled, saying, “Yeah, it was nice… Nice to get one over them, to be honest.”
However, Bayern faced challenges, notably losing the Bundesliga title for the first time in 11 years to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. Following a 2-2 draw in the first leg against Arsenal. Bayern had to dig deep defensively after Kimmich’s goal, with Dier playing a key role in their resolute backline.
Reflecting on the performance, Dier told ESPN, “The spirit among us, you could feel it from the first leg at Arsenal and today we continued in the same vein. We know the quality we possess, but we also showed great spirit and attitude. The manager set us up well to neutralize them and then exploit their weaknesses.”
“It was really about the camaraderie and learning from the experience of some of the players in the dressing room,” Dier added. “To witness how they handle themselves in such crucial moments is invaluable.”
Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel, set to depart at the end of the season, praised his team’s performance, highlighting their resilience and unity. “We showed personality and courage and deserved to win,” Tuchel said. “Staying compact was crucial against Arsenal’s team-oriented style, and we executed our game plan brilliantly.”
The victory marks a significant achievement for Bayern, advancing to the semi-finals and continuing their pursuit of Champions League glory.
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