The mandatory league win against 1. FC Köln allowed Thomas Tuchel to breathe a sigh of relief before FC Bayern’s big Champions League task against Arsenal FC, at least in one respect.
“We got the result we needed and wanted,” said the Munich coach after the 2-0 win. Now we can prepare for the quarter-final second leg on Wednesday “without any further disruption”.
Coman-Aus next “big downer”
Without glitches, but not without problems. Because the personnel situation has deteriorated further due to the next seriously injured football professional on the offensive. After Serge Gnabry, who injured his muscle again in the 2-2 first leg against Arsenal, Kingsley Coman was hit against Cologne. The Frenchman will be out for weeks with a muscle bundle injury in his right thigh. Tuchel spoke of a “big downer”, especially since another offensive player, Leroy Sané, is only partially fit for action and had to sit out the Bundesliga.
Coman had to be brought off the pitch with support, dragging his right leg behind him. “This goes on throughout the entire season,” said sports director Christoph Freund, perplexed by the high number of muscle injuries.
“You need speed on the pitch, you need the bench,” said Tuchel, referring to Arsenal. After all, sports director Freund was “very positive” on Saturday evening about the fact that goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and speed dribbler Sané “will be back on the pitch”. A look at the hot Bayern personnel before the quarter-final decision:
Tor
Captain Neuer complained again about adductor problems during training before Cologne. According to Tuchel, a deployment would have involved “a residual risk” that the coach did not want to take. Bayern need the national goalkeeper to reach the premier class semi-finals. Sven Ulreich represented Neuer excellently against Cologne and saved everything that came his way.
Davies replacement
Alphonso Davies saw yellow in London. That’s why the Canadian is suspended for the second leg. As a left full-back, Tuchel tested Noussair Mazraoui against Cologne, who is right-footed but knows the position from Morocco’s national team. “Nous hasn’t played for a long time, it was important that he got some playing time,” said Freund about Mazraoui’s mixed performance. Can he really stop Arsenal’s whirlwind Bukayo Saka? The alternative would be Raphael Guerreiro. Mazraoui is “a bit stronger defensively than Rapha,” noted Tuchel. Translated: Advantage Mazraoui.
attack
Okay, Harry Kane only hit the post against Cologne and didn’t hit the goal, but nobody has to worry about the Englishman. The goalscorer is ready. Thomas Müller didn’t do much, but he made it 2-0 in stoppage time. That was important because, unlike in the first leg, he will be urgently needed against Arsenal this time.
Gnabry is out, Coman is out, young Mathys Tel is more of a joker. Sané will bite his teeth. And Jamal Musiala, who seemed a bit outplayed, was rested against Cologne until Coman was injured in the first 50 minutes. “We will find solutions,” said Tuchel about the personnel construction sites: “We will be ready on Wednesday.”
