Kovac in control

By Matthew Allen

FC Bayern München defender Robert Kovac is a man of few words who prefers to let his performances on the pitch do the talking. He decribes himself on the club website as being "quiet, honest and helpful" while his personal motto is: "In quietness lies power".

Arsenal trip
But the Croatian international is also quietly confident that Bayern will progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Arsenal FC when they take a 3-1 advantage to Highbury on Wednesday. 'Robby' had a typically commanding game in the first leg at the Olympiastadion as Bayern's defence effectively shackled the likes of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and José Antonio Reyes. Defender Kolo Touré handed the Gunners a lifeline two minutes from time but Kovac is confident they will win the tie.

Good result
"Our chances would be better if we had won 3-0 because Arsenal would have had to score three times in the return leg just to go into extra time," Kovac told uefa.com. "But the result was good and we have a very good foundation for winning in London. If we play as well as we did in the first leg then we have a good chance of progressing to the next round.

Concentration crucial
"I don't know Highbury, but I guess the atmosphere is like in any other English stadium. We know that the fans can carry the home players with their euphoria, so we will have to concentrate hard for the whole match."

Bergkamp danger
He warned against sitting back and letting Arsenal dictate the game. "Arsenal have excellent attacking players and even if you don't see much of them for 80 minutes they have the ability to have a sudden flash of inspiration which makes them very unpredictable," he said. "[Dennis] Bergkamp is a very important player for Arsenal and they will want him back. He controls the ball very well, he is very strong at dribbling and connects very well with Henry.

Defensive danger
"If all we do is defend and let them come at us then we will probably concede some goals. We must not defend too deep but must also play well up front, that is the best way of getting a good result."

Ballack boost
Bayern are boosted by the return from injury of midfielder Sebastian Deisler and their talisman Michael Ballack, who headed the winning goal against Werder Bremen at the weekend to keep Bayern top of the Bundesliga. "We are playing well together and are on top form at the moment. Those results have really helped boost our confidence," Kovac said. "Michael is really important for the team and gives us extra options with his aerial power while Sebastian always fights hard for us."

Europe's best
Kovac joined Bayern from Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2001, shortly after the Munich club last lifted the Champions League, but the Bavarians have failed to advance beyond the last eight in their last three attempts, a record the Croatian wants to put straight. He said: "All the teams left in the competition will be difficult to beat because they are the best teams in Europe. But from now on any team can win as we are at the knockout stage and Bayern are holding good cards."

Quiet life
Kovac's contract expires in the summer but he refuses to let the uncertainty unsettle him. "I go about life in a quiet way and don't let hectic things get to me," he said. "I prefer to deal with things in a controlled manner and enjoy my life that way too."