Benatia, Bernat talk Shakhtar and life at Bayern

UEFA.com: How are you adapting to being at FC Bayern München and to the level of expectation at the club?

Medhi Benatia: I'm doing my job. I'm adapting quite well. It's certainly different from what I knew beforehand both in terms of my personal and professional life − everything is different. Here at Bayern you have to win every Saturday and you have to win every Champions League match, because that's the target.

I must work hard and when the coach calls on me, I try to do my best. Until now it has been going well. I know that the expectations are so high because they signed me [from AS Roma] and the price tag also got lots of people talking, but that doesn't interest me. I know what I can do, I know what I can contribute to my team and that's all. I always try to do my best and at the end of the season we'll see what that brings.

UEFA.com: Why do you think Josep Guardiola identified and brought you to Bayern last summer from Valencia CF?

Juan Bernat: Well, it was certainly a surprise. When a club like Bayern and a coach like Pep shows interest in you then it surprises you, especially at the age of 21, but it has certainly been a big step for me and my family, to have the chance to sign for such a big club.

UEFA.com: How are you enjoying your first taste of the UEFA Champions League and is there a strong belief among the players that you can lift the trophy in June?

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Bernat: Yes, of course. Bayern are always a team that aspires to lift that trophy, and of course we believe in it. For sure, it won't be easy because there are some very strong teams involved. It will be difficult, but we believe in ourselves and we'll do everything to reach the final, especially since it is played in Germany, in Berlin. We want to win the title, but it's not time to think about that now.

UEFA.com: Bayern had a very strong group stage. Have areas for improvement been identified? Is the club always striving for perfection?

Benatia: Of course. We did well, especially in the first half of the season. We have experienced a few more difficulties since coming back from the winter break. I don't think we are perfect yet, just as the coach said. There's always room for hard work. We have a great coach and so many champions in our side, but that isn't everything. The important thing is to always work hard on all aspects of the game, every day at all times, in order to try to improve so that, maybe one day, we can achieve perfection.

UEFA.com: Have you had an opportunity to study FC Shakhtar Donetsk. What do you expect from the tie?

Bernat: Yes, they are a team with dangerous players up front, decisive players. They have a lot of talent, so we have to watch out against them, but it's important that we focus on ourselves, that we know what we have to do. And yes, we'll do things well. We don't have any problems at the moment, but we do respect Shakhtar − they are a great team and, as you said, had a great first stage of the competition.

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Benatia: I've seen them several times. They're a team that always plays in Europe and always does well. They have a very even squad and also plenty of quality up front with so many Brazilians, so it will be difficult. Playing in Ukraine at this time of year isn't easy, but we are Bayern and we'll try to win, both away and at home. We know that it'll be tough and we have lots of respect for our opponents. If we're united, compact and have the requisite desire to win, we can do it.

UEFA.com: Shakhtar scored 15 times in the group stage. What should you, as a defender, be preparing for?

Benatia: It doesn't matter who the opposition is – we have to be focused, ready to play aggressively and give our opponents a tough game. A defender also needs to be physical. We are capable of scoring goals ourselves because we have so much quality up front. We must also exploit some of the opposition's weaknesses to score goals.