Hleb: We knew we could win

BATE Borisov midfielder Aliaksandr Hleb said his team had no doubt they could beat German giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The Belarusian outfit caused one of the shocks of the season with their emphatic 3-1 victory over the Bavarians on Tuesday.

It was their second consecutive win in the group stages – after beating French side Lille away on Matchday 1 – and it has left them as the surprise leaders of Group F.

The much-travelled Hleb was ecstatic with his team’s most recent triumph and is adamant that even before the match, his team felt they could record an unlikely win.

“Of course it’s a great sensation to win. We always believed in it all along,” Hleb said.

The former Arsenal man has had a difficult few years, being farmed out to Stuttgart, Birmingham City and Wolfsburg on loan while at Barcelona.

The 31-year-old then left the Catalans for Russian side Krylya Sovetov at the tail end of last season before joining BATE in July.

Now back in his homeland, Hleb is focusing on the Belarusian side, but is thankful for the opportunities he has had in his career – getting to play for some of the best teams in the world.

“Everyone wants to play for a big club. That was my goal and I achieved it,” he said.

“I love this game. I have been around the place, that is for sure, but, I achieved my goals.”