Coach Thomas Tuchel radiated a lot of confidence before the tingling coaching thrill with Pep Guardiola. Hasan Salihamidzic embodied a lot of optimism for the knockout showdown in the noble dark premier class suit.
Bayern Munich’s sports director pointed out his own strengths shortly before leaving for the quarter-final spectacle against Manchester City in the Champions League when it came to Munich’s prospects against the title favorite about super striker Erling Haaland.
“We know what we can do and have self-confidence. Everyone is highly motivated,” said the 46-year-old on Monday and appealed to his team: “Be brave!” The absence of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting due to knee joint problems for the game on Tuesday (9 p.m. / Amazon Prime Video) does not change the ambitious goal of the semi-finals. “Nevertheless, we have a very good squad,” emphasized the sporting director.
When the Munich team started the two-hour journey to Manchester, Guardiola again underlined the sporting goals of the English before meeting his ex-club again. “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,” said the Catalan. The 52-year-old didn’t pay too much attention to his series of eight competitive wins in a row. “It’s about those 90 or 95 minutes from 9 p.m. You have to be perfect at that moment,” Guardiola demanded.
Müller wants 100th premier class victory
In the morning, Tuchel prepared his team around the birthday boy Sadio Mané for the final unit for a test of strength of the highest degree of difficulty. Without the striker Choupo-Moting, who was probably replaced by Serge Gnabry or Mané, the Munich team want to continue their premier class march against the favored city superiority. “I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Bayern captain Thomas Müller before the first-leg spectacle, in which he wants to celebrate his 100th victory in the Champions League.
And if not? Then eight days before the second leg next Wednesday at home, the pressure on new coach Tuchel and the bosses will be even greater than it is anyway. Eight wins in eight games, including two against Paris Saint-Germain for Lionel Messi, was the record under ex-coach Julian Nagelsmann, which his successor in the Champions League should build on. After the cup shock against Freiburg, things should continue in the premier class on the way to the final on June 10 in Istanbul.
“Could have been a final”
“We’ll have to step up our game again against Manchester City,” demanded CEO Oliver Kahn after the 1-0 win in Freiburg and the consolidated top of the table. The ultimate showdown that “football fans around the world” look forward to is also for Kahn
When the reunion with the former Bayern coach Guardiola was drawn a good three weeks ago, no one could have guessed that this electrifying coaching strategy summit would take place. Tuchel once traveled to Barcelona as an aspiring coach and pep supporter to study Guardiola, who had risen alongside Messi to become a European champion. Both played against each other ten times – and with an overall negative record but a good knockout result, Tuchel celebrated the greatest triumph against Guardiola and City on May 29, 2021 in the final with Chelsea. “We’re back to try again and the world will keep turning,” said Guardiola ahead of the next game.
This defeat, which the Catalan star coach also had a major influence on with unexpected tactical ideas, must have caused Guardiola to agonize for a long time. The 52-year-old, who won three championship titles and the DFB Cup twice in his formative Pep epoch at Bayern from 2013 to 2016, now wants to expand his positive statistics against Tuchel in a quarter-final de luxe. It was the duel between two “brilliant football coaches and chess grandmasters,” said Guardiola friend and Tuchel connoisseur Michael Reschke. The former technical director of Bayern was there when dinner “went back and forth with champagne and wine glasses, salt and pepper shakers”.
“Absolute weapon” Haaland
In extreme Munich days, when everything has to be right after the sudden change of coach, there is little room for such anecdotes. Especially since Tuchel has to think about occupying the center of attack. Unlike Guardiola, who was delighted by Haaland’s return after a groin injury. “It’s important to have a player who can score goals out of thin air. He came to help us win the Champions League,” said Guardiola.
“A pep team with Haaland is still a pep team for me. But with Erling they have an absolute weapon,” warned Thomas Müller. As the third premier class size after megastar Ronaldo (115) and real icon Iker Casillas (101), Müller could break the sound barrier of 100 victories.
Against Manchester’s attacking power, it is all the more important from Bayern’s point of view that Bundesliga winning goal scorer Matthijs de Ligt trumps the Norwegian together with Dayot Upamecano. “We’ve kept seven clean sheets, eight wins. Hopefully we can continue that,” said de Ligt. Like ex-City player Leroy Sané, the Dutchman is expected in the starting XI, and Manchester’s winter loan João Cancelo can also hope.
The expected lineups
Manchester City: Ederson – Akanji, Ruben Dias, Ake – Stones, Rodri – Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gündogan, Grealish – Haaland
FC Bayern Munich: Summer – Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Cancelo – Kimmich, Goretzka – Sané, Müller, Mané – Gnabry
Referee: Gil Manzano (Spain)
