Thomas Müller conjures up “this FC Bayern spirit”, Thomas Tuchel relies on the audience and a performance “at the maximum level” for a Munich football miracle. In their seemingly hopeless situation, the tumbling Munich team around the initially euphoric coach Tuchel on Wednesday (9 p.m. / DAZN) against Manchester City has no choice but to believe in the possibility of a historic football evening when Pep Guardiola returns to the Allianz Arena .
The 0:3 mortgage from the first leg forces Tuchel to take a special approach. “We can’t talk a miracle. Just talking about a 4-0 or 5-1, I don’t know if that’s appropriate,” says the 49-year-old. He is betting on a miracle in stages. “The first goal is to win the first half. We have time, we don’t need to feel rushed.” It is important that the spark jumps from the pitch to the ranks.
In the 282nd premier class game, the German record champions have to make a spectacular comeback to save themselves in the semifinals. “Maybe something magical is possible,” said Europe veteran Müller, who personally looks back on 99 victories in the premier class. Perhaps the 100th will be his biggest and most emotional.
Müller relies on the fans
There are a few role models for miracles in the knockout phase, such as Jürgen Klopp with Liverpool and Sadio Mané, who was still storming for the Reds at the time, in the 4-0 win against FC Barcelona in the 2019 semifinals. Captain Müller is hoping a seething stadium. He promised the fans: “It’s going to be great! We’re still here!”
During the final training session in cool Munich on Tuesday, the lenses of the TV cameras and photographers were mainly focused on Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and the pardoned problem star Mané. Choupo-Moting, who recently paused due to knee problems, is the great hope for goals. “He’s the nine in our squad. He gives us confidence in the position, he gives us physicality,” said Tuchel.
What surprises the Bayern coach? Does he rely on a special now-especially-attitude for Mané, who was pardoned after his cabin clinch with Leroy Sané? One thing is clear: Bayern need goals, goals, goals. The offensive department has to deliver after only defenders had scored recently. However, in their core business, they must focus on taming ManCity’s storm violence called Erling Haaland.
“Haaland is a great player, he’s one of the best number nine in the world,” defender Benjamin Pavard said of the Norwegian. Haaland also scored in the first leg. “We have a duty to throw in everything that’s possible in this second leg,” demanded Oliver Kahn. The outcome of the second leg is also forward-looking for the Munich bosses.
“It seems cramped”
Much more than the special “Bayern spirit” does not speak for a Bayern coup. The coaching change hasn’t unleashed a title boost. A number of players are not in shape, individual mistakes are the order of the day. “It seems tense,” said Tuchel.
Ex-Bayern coach Guardiola, on the other hand, returns to his former place of work with a team that works great and has a man on the pitch in Haaland who scores to his heart’s content. In 2023, Man City finally looks ready for the so often missed premier class triumph. Nevertheless, Guardiola warned: “Bayern will play at the limit. I know them.”
Müller outlined what the script for the “Miracle of Munich” could look like: “Let’s imagine we score a goal in the first half. Then you go into the second half with the prospect of maybe scoring a second goal. And from then on, at the latest, every ball, every whistle, every situation can be decisive. It’s possible,” said Müller, who admitted: “But of course there’s still an opponent on the pitch.”
Debate about FCB bosses
Müller also said: “The window has become smaller, there is not much room for mistakes.” Dropouts like defender Dayot Upamecano before the 0: 2 in Manchester are no longer possible. It takes a perfect Bayern game, starting with goalkeeper Yann Sommer, through leaders Kimmich and Müller, to striker Choupo-Moting. “We all know that we need a completely different performance. We all know that we can do it, but we have to put it on the pitch,” said Kimmich.
Instead of a spirit of optimism, there is more of a doom and gloom in Munich. “We won’t let the overall situation get us down,” Müller countered defiantly. A Champions League knockout but would inevitably fuel the long-erupted debates about the bosses around Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic, the obvious construction sites in the expensive luxury squad and also the future sporting orientation under Nagelsmann’s successor, Tuchel.
The expected lineups:
Bayern Munich: Summer – Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Cancelo – Kimmich, Goretzka – Sané, Müller, Coman – Choupo-Moting
Manchester City: Ederson – Akanji, Stones, Ruben Dias, Aké – Rodrigo – De Bruyne, Gündogan – Bernardo Silva, Haaland, Grealish
Referee: Turpin (France)
