De Ligt speaks on adjustments at Bayern: "I play against the best attackers in the world in training."
Following Bayern's Champions' League win over Inter last night, the Italian sports media descended upon new FCB center back Matthjis de Ligt.
Sky Sports Italia naturally wanted to know why the Dutchman hadn't nailed down a starting spot yet and how the Bundesliga compared to the Serie A.
Despite being one of this summer's highest profile signings, Matthjis de Ligt has only featured in four of FCB head-coach Julian Nagelsmann's eight starting XIs across all competitions.
Sky Sports Italia naturally wanted to know why the Dutchman hadn't nailed down a starting spot yet and how the Bundesliga compared to the Serie A.
The 23-year-old has nevertheless apparently turned the corner, making the lineup in Bayern's last three fixtures this past week. De Ligt started alongside Lucas Hernandez in the Pokal, next to Dayot Upamecano against Union in the league, and once again with Hernandez in the victory over Inter last night.
As the Dutch international explained to Sky Italia in a post-match interview yesterday, there were some adjustments to be made as he became accustomed to his new home. Asked about the primary differences between Bayern and Turin training, de Ligt cited greater focus on intensity and sprints.
Though he didn't mean to suggest that Nagelsmann didn't place an emphasis on tactics, the new FCB CB said that Serie A prep prioritized the system.
"I play against some of the best attackers in the world in training," de Ligt told his interviewer, " It was a bit difficult at the beginning, but every day you learn and improve. I have minutes now and that's very important to me."
"I struggled a bit with it," he conceded, "because I wasn't yet used to the intensity of a Bayern training session. Now, however, I'm in good shape."