Mehdi Benatia praised Francesco Totti and Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, but ignored critical Roma fans.

The defender faces his former club in the Champions League at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday at 19.45 GMT.

Mehdi Benatia praised Francesco Totti and Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, but ignored critical Roma fans.

The defender faces his former club in the Champions League at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday at 19.45 GMT.

“We have a difficult game tomorrow, the fact that we won 7-1 only made the Roma players angry and they’ll do everything possible to show they are a different team,” said Benatia in his Press conference.

“We have the utmost respect for this team, who has done very well this season. In recent weeks Roma aren’t the same as the start of the campaign, but with our quality we can cause them problems.”

Benatia left Roma in poor terms over the summer and was roundly jeered when he played at the Stadio Olimpico in the first game.

“The jeers? I didn’t hear them. Actually I expected worse. It is difficult to compare the clubs. Roma are one of the most important in Italy, not for what they won, but for what they want to achieve. They have quality players, a young squad and in that sense they are similar to Bayern.

“On an international level the fact is Bayern have something more, so we can be compared to clubs like Barcelona. However, the 7-1 result is not an accurate reflection of the difference between the teams and I am disappointed that it happened, especially in Rome.

“I don’t think I put in a great performance, mainly as I didn’t have much to do and our Coach was tactically phenomenal, as nobody expected us to play like that.

“I still have to prove that Bayern did well to bring me in. The German papers have said all sorts of things about me and I cannot understand why.

“All the Roma players can score a goal. Of course if the captain, Totti, has space then he’ll put it in the net. Gervinho is much quicker, Pjanic has quality. We are not afraid of anyone, though.”

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