Before the second leg of the round of 16 in the Champions League against Lazio Rome, FC Bayern defender Matthijs de Ligt appeals for solidarity in order to get out of the misery. Thomas Tuchel demands offensive power. Because one thing is clear: only one win counts.
Matthias de Ligt also spoke in fluent Italian at the press conference ahead of the Champions League round of 16 against Lazio. He knows Rome and Italian football from his time at Juventus Turin. “The Italians are very good defensively and are very hard-working in the box,” says the Dutchman. “The most important thing is that we have men in the box who can create chances.”
De Ligt said that the Italians could only be defeated together. And then the defender became fundamental: the coach alone is not to blame for the current low performance. “We players are responsible too. We’re in this shit together,” he laughed. And we have to find our way out of it together.
Tuchel: “Nobody has as much ambition as me”
The requirement to put an end to the misery is clear: FC Bayern must play the second leg against Lazio after the 0:1 in Rome win – by a two-goal difference, if necessary over 120 minutes and perhaps even in a penalty shootout. Otherwise the last reasonably realistic chance of winning the title will be gone.
“We will have to play with more conviction. We will have to play like we did in the first 15 or 20 minutes in Rome,” said Tuchel on Monday (March 4). The defeat was one of the many setbacks in recent weeks that led to Tuchel having to leave in the summer.
If the Bundesliga record champions fail again in the first knockout round of the Champions League, the coach will probably have to leave before the agreed separation at the end of the season. “Everyone can be sure that no one has more ambition to win the game than me,” promised Tuchel.
Sané is still not pain-free – but there
If we actually don’t manage to make up for the 1-0 loss from the first leg, will the agreement that Tuchel will be in charge of the team until the end of the season be invalid? “Not from my side,” said the 50-year-old combatively. He will give everything for Bayern “until my last game,” but: “I can’t speak for others.” After all, sports director Max Eberl emphasized in his inaugural speech that Tuchel and his team had to “get the most out of it”.
The most recent 2:2 in Freiburg has increased doubts about the coach. The coach is in danger of finally losing the team with which he apparently was never able to develop a real connection. But perhaps it also takes a big game like the one against Lazio to finally turn things around and bring together what has never really come together before.
There was a slight relaxation in terms of personnel: the ailing Leroy Sané will probably be in the squad, but he is far from being in top shape: “He hasn’t played pain-free for a long time, that’s not the requirement. But he can train completely.”
In addition to Sané, Alphonso Davies will also be an alternative again – unlike Sané, the defender was able to play in Freiburg. According to Tuchel, Serge Gnabry’s appearance is unlikely due to the lack of training after his injury. In defense, Dayot Upamecano is suspended after being sent off in the first leg.
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Source: BR24Sport March 4, 2024 – 2:55 p.m
