We must take Slovakia seriously – Neuer

Germany captain Manuel Neuer has stressed that the world champions must not underestimate Slovakia ahead of their Euro 2016 round of 16 tie in Lille on Sunday.

Slovakia shocked Neuer and his team-mates prior to the European Championships with a 3-1 friendly victory over them in Augsburg but Neuer is expecting a completley different match this time around.

“Now the knock-out-round is starting, in one match everything can happen, we don’t take no opponent too easy. Every team, which still is in the tournament, deserves to be here. We have to take every opponent serious, no matter how they are.

“We’re forcing on Slovakia, we already know them from the friendly before the tournament in Augsburg. Which, of course was a whole different match then this. Because this is a knock out game in the Euros. I think we’re prepared good. We’ll try to decide the match as soon as possible for us and of course we want to qualify for the quarter final,” the Bayern Munich keeper stressed.

Germany finished top of Group C whilst Slovakia qualified as one of the best third-placed teams in Group B.

Meanwhile, 21 year-old Joshua Kimmich shrugged off comparisons made between him and Philipp Lahm after the Bayern Munich made his European Championships debut against Northern Ireland earlier this week.

“Joshua does is very cool and not agitated on the field. He did a great job against Northern Ireland. But we already knew before that we can trust him, because in all of his international matches with FC Bayern, we could always rely on Joshua – no matter in which position.

“So because of that I think Joachim Löw and the whole team had a good feeling on that,” Neuer added on Kimmich.