Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola has warned that Dinamo Zagreb’s win over Arsenal should not be considered a fluke.
The Bundesliga leaders host Zoran Mamic’s side on Tuesday after they shocked the Gunners in the opening round of Champions League group-stage fixtures with a 2-1 victory.
Guardiola believes Bayern’s form is steadily improving this season but is under no illusions as to the challenge which awaits his side at the Allianz Arena.
“Every day and every week is important. The most important thing now is Dinamo Zagreb,” he said.
“You’d normally think Arsenal would win in Zagreb, but then you watch the game and you see straight away why Dinamo won. They are very organised, very aggressive.
“They have very technical players and we need to approach the game with great seriousness.
They played well in defence, with their players showing discipline by maintaining their shape. 45 games without losing… this must be a really strong squad – it won’t be easy.
“It’s a great opportunity to bring us into a good position for the game against Arsenal. You have to win your home games to get ahead.
“I have a lot of confidence in my team. Our development is good, we’re getting a little better every game.”
Guardiola revealed that Arturo Vidal is struggling with a minor knee complaint and Sebastian Rode may also miss the Dinamo clash, but there was better news regarding the returns of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
“I hope Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are back soon. Then we can play with width,” he said, adding that Robben could be fit to face Borussia Dortmund on October 4.
“But it’s good for Bayern to have young players like Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa. I hope they can achieve that kind of quality.
“[Javi] Martinez’s knee has responded very well, he has no pain. But if he can play three games in a row, I don’t know.”
Guardiola also hailed the recent form of David Alaba, who missed much of the latter part of last season due to injury.
“It doesn’t matter where David Alaba plays, he’s always amazing,” added the former Barcelona boss. “We can play different systems with him. I really missed him last year, but he’s great at the moment.”
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