Jonathan Tah warns Bayern will never underestimate Viking ahead of Champions League clash

Tah insists Bayern will not underestimate Viking

Bayern Munich will be targeting another big win in the Champions League when they face Norwegian side Viking on Tuesday. Defender Jonathan Tah has insisted Bayern will "never underestimate an opponent" as they prepare for the match.

The fixture will be the first time a team has faced two different Norwegian opponents in their opening two matches of a European Cup or Champions League campaign. Bayern have already beaten Bodo/Glimt 5-0 on matchday one this term, with Jamal Musiala, Harry Kane, Alphonso Davies and Michael Olise all on target in a stunning second-half performance.

A formidable record

Bayern have scored 62 goals across 22 games since a team last kept a clean sheet against them in the Champions League, a 3-0 loss to Feyenoord in January 2025. Since the start of last season, the only teams to hold Bayern to under two goals in the competition are Arsenal (3-1 loss) and Paris Saint-Germain (1-1 draw).

Tah wary of Viking threat

Despite that record, Tah believes Viking will pose plenty of threats of their own.

"We know they'll be confident. They're champions and top of the [Norwegian] table," said Tah about Viking. "They're really good at set-pieces. They won't hide, even if it's against Bayern.

"We also saw against Stuttgart [on Matchday one] that they didn't just sit back. That's not their style of play, and we're not expecting that, either.

"It's always important that we never underestimate an opponent. There's always a lot of talk about favourites, but we don't talk like that.

"We focus on our potential and our game. We always want to do that. It doesn't matter who the opponent is. We always want to give 100%."

Historical context

This will be the 10th time Bayern have faced a Norwegian opponent in European competition. They have gone unbeaten in the previous nine (W7 D2) and averaged 3.3 goals per game, scoring 30 in total. Viking have lost each of their four games against German sides this century, failing to score in three of them. Their opening game of this Champions League campaign was an away defeat at Stuttgart (1-3).

Kompany: every game is a challenge

"It's the Champions League. Every game is a challenge," said Bayern boss Vincent Kompany. "If we come here and say we want to be Bayern, then that's a question of mentality.

"It's a special game for Viking, but I don't want anyone to feel like it's not important for us. No matter what the game brings, we'll go into it thinking that anything can happen."