Podolski: Chelsea were lucky to win UCL

By FOX Sports Staff

The Germany international is busy preparing for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first-leg against former side Bayern Munich.

Ahead of the encounter, he was asked about Arsenal's approach against the Bavarian giants.

The ex-Bayern forward claimed the Gunners would stick to their attacking philosophy, while also criticising Chelsea's defensive tactics that saw them defeat Bayern in last year's final to win their maiden Champions League title.

"Obviously to win is a great achievement. But the way Chelsea won largely depended on good luck," he told the Sun.

"That is not the way to approach a football match. We will not play like that. We will play our normal game."

Podolski played with Bayern for three seasons but struggled to make his mark at the Allianz Arena. He left the club to join Cologne in 2009 and confessed that facing Bayern would not be as much of an emotional wrangle as the media has made it out to be.

"If I am being honest, it would be more difficult if Arsenal were playing Cologne. They are my team. My club. Emotionally, it would have been far more intense," he agreed.

"I was there from the age of 10, joined Bayern, and went back there before playing for Arsenal.

"But Bayern will be a good game. Bastian [Schweinsteiger] is a good friend. We text a lot and had a few jokes when Arsenal were drawn against them.

"Jerome Boateng is also a friend. He is quite quiet but a guy I like very much. Franck [Ribery] is a lot of fun and I saw him after the match between France and Germany."

And he also voiced his opinion that Pep Guardiola made the right decision to join Bayern ahead of the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

"I was surprised with Pep Guardiola coming to Bayern," he continued.

"There was talk of Chelsea and Manchester City but it is the right decision for Guardiola as Bayern are a big club with a good philosophy."