Julian Brandt and Pascal Gross on the chances of reaching the semi-finals | OneFootball

How do you assess your chances of winning and thus advancing to the semifinals?Julian Brandt: “I think we should take the positive aspects from the Champions League game we played against Real in October (a 5-2 loss after leading 2-0 at halftime). We experienced things there which, hopefully, we've learned from. We don’t need to hide. Of course, we have a lot of respect for Real – but we also know that we can score goals, because we’ve already shown that. We had a good first half in Madrid; in my opinion, we had a good game that day. But we simply need to learn that a game lasts 90 minutes, not just 45. It’s a final. Anything can happen in 90 minutes – that’s how quarter-finals are. And I believe Real Madrid have huge respect for us. They also know that we’re not coming here just to park the bus.”

Pascal Gross: “I think it will be an extremely exciting game. We had to work our way into the tournament a bit, but now the quarter-final against Real is a big match – I’m looking forward to it and we want to advance. Of course, a lot has to come together: Real Madrid are the biggest team in the world, with absolute top stars. We need to have a top performance, we need to improve again, we need a bit of good fortune. We have to defend well and take the chances we get. Real have world-class players and I’m really excited to measure ourselves against them. Even though they play extreme possession football, maybe there will be space behind that we can exploit. Otherwise, at football of this level, it’s always the little things that decide the outcome.”

You’ve already played at MetLife Stadium in the group stage. Is that an advantage?Pascal Gross: “Every stadium here is different. But yes, we’ve played here before, and that helps us. The ball won’t bounce much, but now we know that. Ultimately, it’s the same for everyone. We just have to accept the conditions as quickly as possible – including the heat, but those shouldn’t be excuses. You need the ball, you have to manage your energy a bit.”

Julian, how much are you looking forward to reuniting with Jude Bellingham? Julian Brandt: “I always enjoyed playing with Jude. He’s a fantastic player and I really enjoyed our time together. But it’s not just about Jude, there are many other players at Real who are sensational. I think we’re well prepared for their team and we know it will be a game at a very, very high level.”

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