Dier: “This is what the Champions League is all about”

Eric Dier senses an excitement about our Champions League draw against RB Leipzig.

We were paired against the Bundesliga leaders in the last 16 on Monday. We’re at home in the first leg on Wednesday 19 February before our trip to Germany for the second leg on Tuesday 10 March.

Formed in 2009, RB Leipzig began life in the fifth tier of German football before progressing to the top flight in 2016/17. They finished second in that first season to secure a place in the Champions League in 2017/18. Third last term and now top of the tree in Germany, unbeaten in 11 matches, they have progressed to the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time under the leadership of Julian Nagelsmann.

“I’ve followed their progress quite a lot,” said Eric. “They are a very exciting team, a very young team and an interesting club in the way they do their business. They are an exciting, young team with a lot of quality, and you have to have that to be top of the Bundesliga.

“I’m sure some people will think we’ve got a favourable draw but there is no such thing in the Champions League. We will be well aware of the dangers they possess.

“This is what the Champions League is all about, playing different teams, playing in different environments and challenging the best teams in Europe, and they are definitely one of those teams.

“When something is new it’s always exciting and to have a new opponent that we haven’t faced before is exactly that. A lot of it comes down to the unknown, which is exciting for us as players, for the Club and I’m sure for the fans as well.”

Of course, we had a thrilling ride to the final last season, where we lost out to Liverpool at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.

“To experience what we went through last season and to know what it takes to get to where we did, and to know what we missed out on in the final, all of those experiences, good and bad, will be helpful,” added Eric.

“One thing is, constantly, every season, we’ve improved in an area in some way. Last season it was our Champions League form. The season before it was the Premier League and Champions League. Every year I feel like we’re breaking down barriers and this year I hope we do the same.

“We have the chance to do that in the Champions League, the FA Cup and in the Premier League, where we have a great challenge to get into the top four and we’re embracing that.”