Mkhitaryan: "A big opportunity, we'll do everything to make the most of it"

At 21:00 CEST on Wednesday, Inter Milan will meet Bayern Munich at San Siro in the return leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie between the sides after the Nerazzurri's 2-1 victory in Munich.

On the eve of the clash at the Meazza, Henrikh Mkhitaryan sat alongside Simone Inzaghi and responded to journalists' questions during today's press conference.

At such an important moment, is there the feeling that you're close to something extraordinary? 

"It's a big opportunity, but we have to focus on tomorrow's match, which will be a tough one against a very strong team. The Coach started building this team four years ago and has done something important for the Club. Together, we've created this group to fight for these objectives. Tomorrow's game is a real opportunity, and we'll give everything to win and go as far as possible. Then we’ll see whether or not we make it to the final."

What are you expecting from Bayern? 

"We know what we've done. After the first leg, we were happy, but there weren't any celebrations - we want to stay focused on our game and our match. A lot gets said away from the pitch and the Club, but we try not to listen. After all, that's just how the football world is."

It seems like Inter Milan have the obligation to win - does that pressure get to you or motivate you? 

"We're calm, mature and experienced. We know we have to win every game, regardless of the competition. We don't need to listen to what's being said away from the pitch because we know where we want to go. In order to reach that point, you have to win every day, in training and in matches. We have responsibilities, and we're all playing our part in the results we're achieving."

Do the more experienced players bring something extra? 

"There’s always more to give. We're doing everything we can to help the team, and we want to make the most of this opportunity. We're giving our all to take that extra step, and we'll see tomorrow if we can do it together."

You previously said that if you play in a certain way, Inter are unplayable. Do you still believe that? 

"I said something two months ago, and you made headlines out of it - that's fine. It was my opinion at that time because, being on the inside, I see how my teammates work and how hard they sweat for the shirt, the Club and the fans. I think we're an incredibly strong team, and that's why we're fighting on three fronts. We want to go as far as possible because we play all year to win something, and there's so much up for grabs this season."

Has this been the most demanding season?

"It's been one of the most demanding seasons because we're in April and in contention on three fronts, but it's also exciting to take to the pitch every three days and fight for all our objectives. I’m happy with what is happening at this moment in my career because it might not occur again. I’m delighted to be here, to play for this Club and to be fighting for everything."

Olise is in great form, what do you think of him? 

"He's an excellent player, just like the rest of the team. I already knew about him before: he's very good technically and also very quick. He's doing some fantastic things on the pitch, but we'll do everything we can to stop him from playing as well as he did in the first leg. We hope to produce a big performance tomorrow."

Do you feel like you're the favourites, or have you moved on from the result in the first leg? 

"We're not thinking about the result from a week ago. Tomorrow, the match will kick off with the score at 0-0, and both teams have the chance to win. We need to give it everything to win the game. A big advantage for us is our fans, and we hope to progress to the next round together."

What kind of match are you expecting? 

"We're playing at home, and we want to do our best. Bayern will come to win, but we also want to win and qualify for the next round. It won't be easy, but we're ready to face them."

Does this adrenaline take away the fatigue? 

"Playing every 3-4 days is more enjoyable than playing every week, and fighting on all fronts gives real motivation to keep going. We approach every match like a final, which is why we have so much adrenaline to play all the games we have left."

Source: inter.it