Aleksandar Pavlović highly critical of himself after Bayern Munich’s blockbuster 2-1 win over Real Madrid

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 07: Aleksandar Pavlovic of FC Bayern Munich reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and FC Bayern München at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 07, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović is always striving to better, so after a few minutes against Real Madrid, the youngster was already deep into self-assessment mode. Sure, the Bavarians eventually pulled out a 2-1 victory in the Champions League, but Pavlović knows that he — and the team — need to be better next week in leg two of the tie at the Allianz Arena.

“In the first half, I played a few bad passes that I’ve never played before. I wasn’t happy with myself at all there. The second half was already better.

That was a top team performance. Now we just have to see it through to the end,” said Pavlović, who played an integral role in both Bayern Munich attack and defensive structure (as captured by Sky Germany’s Kerry Hau ). By the end of the match, Pavlović actually put in a nice performance, but he will always be his own biggest critic.

Surely, he will be aiming to be even better next week. If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast , Spotify , Apple , or any leading podcast distributor… Join the conversation! Sign up for a user account and get: New, improved notifications system!