Nairaland Forum

Franck Ribery cannot wait to take to the pitch at the Stade Velodrome as he makes his first return to his former club Marseille since leaving them for Bayern Munich in 2007.

Ribery will be spearheading Bayern's bid to reach the Champions League final in their own stadium this May, and his motivation for tomorrow night's quarter-final first leg is two, if not three-fold.

As well as the prospect of featuring in his first final after missing the 2010 defeat to Inter Milan through suspension, Ribery cannot wait to play again in front of his former fans.

And, at the same time, he knows there are plenty of critics he can silence with a stirring performance at his old stomping ground.

"There are certain people around who don't stop criticising me,'' said the winger, who was made one of the main scapegoats in France for Les Bleus poor showing at the 2010 World Cup.

"Whenever I come to France, I don't even have time to switch on the television and they are criticising me already.''

According to the 28-year-old, the fans in France who do not follow the Bundesliga are missing out on the real Ribery.

"I am not my normal self when I play for France, I am completely different,'' he told L'Equipe.

"I don't know if it is a mental thing.

"Things should not happen like that, they should happen like here in Munich. Everything is done to make me feel good here.

"In Germany, I am happy and I express myself on the field.''

Ribery does not know what kind of reception he can expect from the Marseille fans tomorrow.

"I think it will be 50/50,'' he said at a press conference. "I now wear a Bayern shirt so I know that the Olympique fans will not be behind me and they will not be chanting my name.''

Ribery's inspiring form helped Bayern score 20 goals in three matches recently and there is no doubting they will be favourites to progress to the semi-finals.

However, Marseille coach Didier Deschamps, who led Monaco to a surprise Champions League final appearance in 2004, is not writing off his side's chances.

"We are going to have to raise our game, as a team and as individuals,'' he said on his club's website.

"And we need to have our fans behind us because that could also lift our players to exceed themselves.''

Deschamps feels the pressure is going to be on Bayern and that could also help his side.

"Our aim in the Champions League was to get to the knockout stages, and then we pulled off a shock win against Inter Milan, but they are aiming to go all the way to play the final in their own stadium,'' he said.

"We are going to have to concentrate, but we can also be relaxed.''

Deschamps may make a surprise in goal by choosing his third-choice goalkeeper to replace the suspended Steve Mandanda.

Elinton Andrade, who has played only eight times in three seasons for Marseille, could be preferred over Gennaro Bracigliano, who disappointed in last weekend's domestic cup exit to lower-league opponents Quevilly.

Bastian Schweinsteiger has flown out to the Cote d'Azur with Bayern, although he will face a late fitness test and is not expected to figure.

Only Breno and Daniel van Buyten are otherwise out for Bayern.

Match

Tension dey my body oooooo

Hoping for a Bayern win

We must overcome until we reach the the final in alliaz arena .

Neuer
Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba
Gustavo, Kroos
Robben, Müller, Ribery
Gomez

subs: Butt, Rafinha, Contento, Tymoshchuk, Pranjic, Petersen, Olic

game on!

Kroos Lahm and Gustavo already with yellow cards

Tooorrrrr Mario Gomezzzz

11 goals in the CL

Robben chose not to be selfish. nice one

Miroslav klose: Tension dey my body oooooo

Hahahaha!!!

lahm should av been red carded oooo. before 90mins. one of bayern men may leave the pitch

emsquare:

Hahahaha!!!

say wetin happen?

Homar: We must overcome until we reach the the final in alliaz arena .

I really doubt this. one of lahm, kroos and dias would definitely miss one leg in the semis should bayern go through.

Rem our defense is dead without lahm. badstuber, boateng and Alaba are makeshift in my opinion

bayern need to watch it. The ref might want to compensate OM for his errors that led to the goal

Tymoschuk on for kroos

Torrrr Robbennnnnn

bayern don score another goal o

Schweinsteiger for Muller

Can Schweini pick up a yellow, So he can miss the return leg

na wa o

Bayern nor dey joke

Ribery out for Pranjic

Schweini picks his yellow

lahm shd just pick a red card for him not to miss the madrid clash. kroos and dias could miss the madrid clash as well

Madrid will destroy Bayern Munich in the semi final

Na Ʊ wan help them score ? Madrid is gonna be whipped believe ♏ξ ... Mia san mia forever

FRANKLINTON: Madrid will destroy Bayern Munich in the semi final

Confirm!!!

emsquare:

Confirm!!!

Rumor