Kehrer: “Bayern have huge pace going forward”

Thilo Kehrer is considered to be one of FC Schalke 04’s most promising talents. Furthermore he has been playing for the junior national teams and previously captained the Germany U20s. The 20-year-old will be at the Allianz Arena tonight (kick-off 20:45 CET) to face reigning champions FC Bayern München. The defender will be hoping both for the chance to make his DFB Cup debut as well as for Schalke to progress to the semi-finals. Kehrer will be fighting alongside Bayern loanee Holger Badstuber for a place in the Royal Blues’ back three ahead of the injured central defender, Naldo. The youngster speaks in an interview with DFB.de about Schalke’s chances in Munich, his side’s own strengths as well as world champions Benedikt Höwedes and Jerome Boateng as his role models.

DFB.de: Mr. Kehrer, you’re yet to make an appearance in the DFB Cup. Would it be an absolute dream to make your debut in the quarter-final against FC Bayern?

Thilo Kehrer: Yes, without doubt. There isn’t a much bigger stage than playing in the DFB Cup at the Allianz Arena.

DFB.de: Are you pretty much on your way to winning the DFB Cup if you beat Bayern?

Thilo Kehrer: You can definitely say that. They almost always reach the final or at least the semi-finals. If you beat Bayern, then you take a huge step towards lifting the trophy.

DFB.de: Your chances of featuring in the Schalke defence have increased with the absence of Naldo. How much can you benefit from that?

Kehrer: First of all, Naldo’s injury is deeply disappointing for him and the entire team because he is a very important player. That was a shock for us all but we have a great squad and somebody else will try to fill this gap as well as possible. Holger Badstuber and I have played together many times in a back three and know what we have to do to play there.

DFB.de: Which position do you most enjoy playing in?

Kehrer: That would definitely be centre-back but I also feel very comfortable playing in defensive midfield. They are my two favourite positions. I also played on the right of the back line as a youth player but rarely played on the left.

DFB.de: What are Bayern’s biggest strengths at the moment?

Kehrer: They haven’t concentrated on possession as much this year, but rather on having a strong counterattack. That is obviously dangerous. They drop back more often and let the opponent come at them so that they can then hit them on the counterattack with their world-class players. They have huge quality going forward and loads of pace, which I think is their biggest strength.

DFB.de: Which Bayern players in particular will you have to watch out for, especially from a defender’s point of view?

Kehrer: I wouldn’t want to pick one out, they are all threatening in front of goal. Of course Robert Lewandowski is extremely dangerous when he’s on the ball as the central man in attack but the same goes for their wide players too. It almost doesn’t matter who plays for them, they all have quality.

DFB.de: Do you have a role model among your own ranks who you can look towards, namely world champion Benedikt Höwedes?

Kehrer: Of course. For me, it’s important that I have players in my position who I can learn from. “Bene” is obviously an example of that here. I also learned a lot from Jerome Boateng at Bayern.

DFB.de: You did not feature in the 2-0 defeat to Bayern at the beginning of the season and then came on shortly before the end in the recent 1-1 draw for Germany international Leon Goretzka. Did the match show you how Bayern can crack?

Kehrer: We saw that they are a little bit vulnerable and make mistakes. If we look to create opportunities and are brave, then we will definitely have a chance of succeeding against them.

DFB.de: What do you think are Schalke’s strengths in general at the moment, as well as in defence?

Kehrer: I think we have found some good stability in the system we play. With the three at the back, the three centre-midfielders as well as the two wide players and the two forwards, we are able to be very compact and defend the ball well. If we don’t allow them any gaps and are aggressive, then we are strong on the counterattack with our players going forward and those behind them who can play in good balls to them. It will come down to if we can execute these things in Munich.

DFB.de: There is now the possibility of making a fourth substitution in the DFB Cup if the match goes to extra-time. Do you see that as a positive rule?

Kehrer: I do think that this is a good change to the rules. With that, the coaches have the chance to change things up again if they have already made three substitutions and somebody then has to go off due to injury or fatigue.

DFB.de: Describe the atmosphere that you and your team are expecting at the Allianz Arena.

Kehrer: It will definitely be something special. I think that the atmosphere is always more intense than usual on a cup night. That is something we can look forward to.

DFB.de: Schalke beat Bayern in 2011 in the semi-final and then went on to cruise past MSV Duisburg in the final and take the title. Is Schalke’s history with five cup wins and a further seven cup final appearances an extra source of motivation for you?

Keher: Yes, it’s definitely something you think about, knowing that Schalke has such a strong history in the cup. Of course it makes you raise your game and gives you a bit of confidence as well.

DFB.de: Last but not least, your bet. What’s the score going to be?

Kehrer: I’ve never bet on the results from matches before but if we get into the game well and really go for it like we did in the 1-1 draw and keep it tense until the end, then there’s all to play for.