The return of Bayern's Arturo Vidal (l.) to Leverkusen was soured after he picked up a knee injury in the first half of the 0-0 draw. - © © gettyimages / Lars Baron/Bongarts
The return of Bayern's Arturo Vidal (l.) to Leverkusen was soured after he picked up a knee injury in the first half of the 0-0 draw. - © © gettyimages / Lars Baron/Bongarts

Vidal exclusive: 'Nice to be back in Leverkusen'

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FC Bayern München midfielder Arturo Vidal told bundesliga.com it was "nice to be back" at the BayArena, following his side's 0-0 draw with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Read: Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern report

The Chile international, who made his name in Europe with Die Werkself for four years before departing for Italian club Juventus in 2011, returned to the BayArena for the first time after joining Bayern last summer.

Vidal, 28, was back in the champions' starting line-up for the first time this year for Saturday evening's headline fixture, but was replaced by Thiago Alcantara in central midfield in the 52nd minute after admitting to pain in his knee.

"It wasn't an ideal return because I got injured but I really liked being back in Leverkusen," Vidal said. "It was where I started and where I still know a lot of people. Like I said, it was nice to be back but a real shame with how it ended and me getting injured."

'Hope to be back as quickly as possible'

'The Bundesliga has really improved'

As he told bundesliga.com, though, Vidal was happy with the point, despite his personal frustration. "This was definitely a point gained here rather than two lost," he said. "We're now one game closer to where we want to be and that’s champions."

As Vidal is aware, though, that will not be an easy task, despite Bayern's eight-point lead at the top. "The Bundesliga has really improved [since Vidal left in 2011]," he said. "The quality of the players etcetera, we’ll just see how things pan out for the rest of the season."

Reaction: What did the other Bayern players make of the draw?

Daniel Thacker reporting from the BayArena