Robben puffing out his chest for Bayern

FC Bayern München's season has taken a turn for the better since the arrival of Arjen Robben and now the Netherlands winger has called on his team-mates to "prove we can be successful in Europe" as Juventus visit in Group A.

Immediate impact
After picking up just two points from their first three Bundesliga games, Bayern signed Robben from Real Madrid CF and on his debut the 25-year-old scored twice as his new side overwhelmed German champions VfL Wolfsburg 3-0. That was the first of five straight wins for the Bavarian club and, though they went down 1-0 at Hamburger SV on Saturday, confidence at the Fußball Arena München remains high.

'Big game'
Four-time European champions Bayern began their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 3-0 success at Maccabi Haifa FC, yet Robben is under no illusions about the task ahead on Matchday 2. "We are facing a big game, it's two big teams playing," he said. "It is a very important match, but even more so for Juventus because they drew their first game. We played very well against Haifa, but as a team, we still have to prove we can be successful in Europe. If we win, we will take a big step forward, so I hope we will."

Juve experience
Robben has previous experience of the Turin outfit and expects a tough assignment from the visitors' back line. "I played twice against Juve with Real," he added. "They have very good individual quality and, as tends to be the case with Italians, a very strong defence. It will be difficult to score against them." Many consider the Dutchman's immediate understanding with Franck Ribéry as the main reason for Bayern's recent revival, but Robben believes the role played by compatriot and coach Louis van Gaal is perhaps more influential. "He is a very good coach and has the quality not just to make a single player better, but also a whole team. He has proved many times how good he is."

Schweinsteiger belief
Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger also underlined the significance of this heavyweight collision between two of Europe's biggest names. "For Juve the game is more important, but if we win we are in a very good position to go through," said the 25-year-old German international. "We are highly motivated and concentrated. And we need to be, because we're playing against Juve. But we have to concentrate and believe in our qualities – not worry too much about what Juventus are doing."