FC Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel has to deliver in the Champions League. The 49-year-old is confident in the duel against Manchester City.
Big pressure for Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel. After turbulent weeks everything has to be in place on Tuesday in the Champions League against Manchester City. The record champions under ex-coach Julian Nagelsmann have won eight wins in eight games, including two against the top stars of Paris Saint-Germain.
Attractive task against the Pep team
Tuchel should continue seamlessly in the first leg of the quarter-finals. “The task is huge. That’s the benchmark we want to measure ourselves against,” said Tuchel at the final press conference. “I think we’re well prepared. It’s the highest level that European football has to offer at the moment. They’re in top form.”
Of course, that also makes the task attractive, emphasized the Bayern coach confidently and praised city coach Pep Guardiola for his outstanding work. “Pep gives his teams their own style. What he does is unique.” That’s why you want to prevent “they from becoming too dominant”. Because Guardiola is also pursuing ambitious goals: “I want to win the Champions League, but you have to earn it. We want to take the first step against an elite club like Bayern Munich.”
Respect for Manchester with Haaland is great
It will not be an easy performance for Munich. Tuchel expects moments when the team will suffer. However, you also want to play on City and hurt them. “We have the quality and talent in the squad for this,” Tuchel is convinced.
Nevertheless, the respect is great. “A pep team with Haaland is still a pep team for me. But with Erling they have an absolute weapon,” said Thomas Müller. There should also be solutions against the exceptional player, whose athleticism and hunger for goals stand out for Tuchel: “It will take diligence and willingness, it can not only be solved technically and tactically. We will also have to prove ourselves in direct duels”. , warns the Bayern coach.
Serge Gnabry on the nine
It is clear that the management expects success. To do this, however, you have to “put it a step further” against Manchester City, demanded CEO Oliver Kahn after the 1-0 win in Freiburg. “We know what we can do,” said sports director Hasan Salihamidzic on Monday before departure. But: “We need a good team performance”. Freiburg goalscorer Matthijs de Ligt also emphasized: “We have to put in a top performance tomorrow.”
The aim of the Munich team is to reach the semi-finals, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s absence due to knee problems will not change that. “There’s nothing wrong with Serge Gnabry playing on the nine. He may not be that big, but neither he nor Thomas Müller nor Sadio Mané are,” explained Tuchel.
