After the 0-3 debacle in the top Bundesliga game at Bayer Leverkusen, FC Bayern urgently needs to react on the European stage. In the round of 16 of the Champions League, Munich will first face Lazio in Rome. Sports director Christoph Freund warns against the Italians – and supports Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel.
Although Bayern received a nasty beating from Bayer Leverkusen in the league, they are clear favorites in the first leg of the round of 16 in the premier class against Lazio.
Sports director Freund still raises his index finger in warning. “Lazio has a lot of internationally experienced players. They have nothing to lose and will throw everything into the mix. They can defend very well and are very hard-working as a team. So it won’t be an easy task,” he said on Tuesday before departing for the club “Eternal City”.
The defeat in Leverkusen “hangs on because it was an important game,” admitted Freund. “We are now happy that things are continuing. I am convinced that we will present ourselves differently tomorrow.”
FC Bayern: Will Tuchel rely on Müller and Kimmich again from the start?
This could be reflected in coach Tuchel’s line-up. By switching to a 3-4-3 system at Leverkusen, in the opinion of almost all experts, he had “overcoached” himself. Tuchel also left leading players like Thomas Müller and Joshua Kimmich on the bench.
“He doesn’t doubt his work. He’s very ambitious and tries to think of solutions,” said Freund, defending the ailing Bayern coach. A solution for the Lazio game could be the return of the alpha animals Müller and Kimmich to the starting eleven. “Thomas can always give the team a lot,” said Freund, particularly praising club legend Müller. “He has a lot of energy, a lot of experience and also the right attitude to lead the way.”
Another Lederhosen withdrawal would be a catastrophe for the rest of Bayern’s season. “We are FC Bayern Munich and we are there to achieve success. We are tickled,” Freund tried to at least rhetorically restore Munich’s self-image before the game in Rome.