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Bayern goalie Neuer vows to show Messi he is boss

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Manuel Neuer

Barcelona: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said on Tuesday he will show FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi who the “boss” is when the two teams lock horns in the Champions League semi-final first leg match here on Wednesday.

It will be Neuer and Messi’s first meeting since Germany triumphed over Argentina in the World Cup final in 2014.

“I have a lot of respect for Messi and for everything that he has achieved. He is very humble, but it’s crucial to show authority when we meet on the pitch and show him who’s boss. I did the same in the World Cup final and this worked out pretty well,” Neuer was quoted as saying by Goal.com on Tuesday.

Neuer said he aims at a repeat performance of the World Cup final and hopes to make good use of his considerable physical presence.

“We will be looking to do the same on Wednesday. It is vital to obtain a position of dominance and instil respect. We have to make good use of our physical presence, our character and show a certain ruthlessness,” he said.

Bayern wrecked Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate in the Champions League semis when the two sides met two years ago. But Neuer believes the current Barcelona side are a better team than the previous one and it will be a tough encounter.

“The game against Barcelona is a final before the final. Our goal is to make it to the showpiece in Berlin. We dominated Barcelona in both legs in the semi-finals two years ago, but the situation has changed,” he said.

“This time, they have no injuries and Messi is back to his best, while we are missing several key players,” he said referring to the unavailability of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and the doubtful Robert Lewandowski.

“We know that we face a tough task, but I am confident we will get our chances.”

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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia

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The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.

Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.

Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”

Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.

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