bavarian foot works 
29-04-2024 14:57
29-04-2024 14:57
Injuries a concern for Thomas Tuchel ahead of Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League
Bayern Munich Thomas Tuchel has been run through the ringer during his tenure at the club.
Some of it has been of his own doing and some of it has just been the product of the craziness that has ensued — on the field and off of it — since he took over.
As such, the Bavarians were struck by a few key injuries in recent weeks as Konrad Laimer, Matthijs de Ligt, and Dayot Upamecano are all banged up. Meanwhile, Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala are also still battling issues as well.
“As of now I can’t say at 100%. They’re still undergoing the final tests. I think things are looking better with Konny than with Matthijs and Upa. We have to wait a few more hours and for training,” Tuchel said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “We’ll see how training goes today. Konny will try it. It’s maybe a bit too early for Matthijs and Upa, but we’ll see. There will be some last-minute decisions, also for Leroy and Jamal. We have to wait for training.”
Aside of injuries, Tuchel also faces a battle on the sidelines as he will try to match wits with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.
“What Carlo’s done for football as a player and a coach is huge. He’s a legend. But he’s still so polite and grounded. It’s extraordinary. He’s on the verge of another league title and is in the Champions League semifinals,” said Tuchel. “We need tactics and luck. We need a good mix, a good balance. Players want to see a plan and an idea. But they also need freedom. But you also need luck in the game. If you want to beat Real, you need the whole package.”
One player who has Tuchel’s full attention in the tie is Real Madrid star and England international Jude Bellingham.
“Jude is an outstanding player, who’s enjoyed a fantastic development. You can only do that with great character. Everyone who plays at Real plays with the pressure of the shirt. He takes it all on as if he knows nothing else. He’s a key player. We’ll try to find solutions,” Tuchel said.
Tuchel is not exactly facing an unknown as a coach, he has crossed paths with Real Madrid as coach at other clubs.
“We faced Real twice with Chelsea, also previously with PSG and Dortmund. The most notable difference from the last game with Chelsea is that Karim Benzema is gone. He was the focal point at the time,” said Tuchel. “They’ve made up for that with a change of system. Many approaches are still similar, but the way they play has changed, also through Jude Bellingham, who plays everywhere #10, #8, #6. But there are still (Toni) Kroos, (Luka) Modric, Vinicius, so not everything has changed. We need to find a good balance.
“(Vinicius and Rodrygo) are both good but also different. Rodrygo scores a lot of decisive goals, he did it against me at Chelsea. Vinicius is often on the left where he dribbles, is very good at shooting and very clinical. Rodrygo also has incredible pace and also plays as the center-forward at times. I had good experiences with Brazilian players, that’s why I said I like them.”
Finally, when asked about his prediction that Serge Gnabry will score a goal, Tuchel just said that he has a hunch.
“It will happen. I don’t know how I know, but it will happen,” Tuchel remarked. “It’s definitely a very big and illustrious fixture that we’re all really looking forward to. It’s a worthy semifinal in the Champions League. There’s big excitement.
“We need an absolutely top atmosphere. It was already great against Arsenal — it has to be even better now. We also need the spectators to support us, even in moments when it’s more difficult. We need maximum support to get through phases in which we have to suffer. Together with the spectators, we need to create an atmosphere that gives us an advantage.
“The semifinal already feels a bit like the final. My approach is to line up like a final. Four injured players would probably be too many in total if we know they can’t play through. But there are different injuries. But we won’t approach it with the background that there’s still a game to play. We want to play the game in isolation. We have the freedom, we’ll put everything in tomorrow and then we’ll see.
“We want to get to Wembley and win there. We are ready, we have a lot of confidence. It was important to beat Arsenal. Now the next step is against Real Madrid. We want to be competitive and reach Wembley. We have to focus on tomorrow and be well prepared.” Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s massive Champions League showdown with Real Madrid? We’ve got you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show, where we dive into the game, Bayern Munich’s tenuous injury situation, a guess on Thomas Tuchel’s lineup, and a prediction on the game. Check it out on Spotify or below:
Some of it has been of his own doing and some of it has just been the product of the craziness that has ensued — on the field and off of it — since he took over.
As such, the Bavarians were struck by a few key injuries in recent weeks as Konrad Laimer, Matthijs de Ligt, and Dayot Upamecano are all banged up. Meanwhile, Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala are also still battling issues as well.
“As of now I can’t say at 100%. They’re still undergoing the final tests. I think things are looking better with Konny than with Matthijs and Upa. We have to wait a few more hours and for training,” Tuchel said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “We’ll see how training goes today. Konny will try it. It’s maybe a bit too early for Matthijs and Upa, but we’ll see. There will be some last-minute decisions, also for Leroy and Jamal. We have to wait for training.”
Aside of injuries, Tuchel also faces a battle on the sidelines as he will try to match wits with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.
“What Carlo’s done for football as a player and a coach is huge. He’s a legend. But he’s still so polite and grounded. It’s extraordinary. He’s on the verge of another league title and is in the Champions League semifinals,” said Tuchel. “We need tactics and luck. We need a good mix, a good balance. Players want to see a plan and an idea. But they also need freedom. But you also need luck in the game. If you want to beat Real, you need the whole package.”
One player who has Tuchel’s full attention in the tie is Real Madrid star and England international Jude Bellingham.
“Jude is an outstanding player, who’s enjoyed a fantastic development. You can only do that with great character. Everyone who plays at Real plays with the pressure of the shirt. He takes it all on as if he knows nothing else. He’s a key player. We’ll try to find solutions,” Tuchel said.
Tuchel is not exactly facing an unknown as a coach, he has crossed paths with Real Madrid as coach at other clubs.
“We faced Real twice with Chelsea, also previously with PSG and Dortmund. The most notable difference from the last game with Chelsea is that Karim Benzema is gone. He was the focal point at the time,” said Tuchel. “They’ve made up for that with a change of system. Many approaches are still similar, but the way they play has changed, also through Jude Bellingham, who plays everywhere #10, #8, #6. But there are still (Toni) Kroos, (Luka) Modric, Vinicius, so not everything has changed. We need to find a good balance.
“(Vinicius and Rodrygo) are both good but also different. Rodrygo scores a lot of decisive goals, he did it against me at Chelsea. Vinicius is often on the left where he dribbles, is very good at shooting and very clinical. Rodrygo also has incredible pace and also plays as the center-forward at times. I had good experiences with Brazilian players, that’s why I said I like them.”
Finally, when asked about his prediction that Serge Gnabry will score a goal, Tuchel just said that he has a hunch.
“It will happen. I don’t know how I know, but it will happen,” Tuchel remarked. “It’s definitely a very big and illustrious fixture that we’re all really looking forward to. It’s a worthy semifinal in the Champions League. There’s big excitement.
“We need an absolutely top atmosphere. It was already great against Arsenal — it has to be even better now. We also need the spectators to support us, even in moments when it’s more difficult. We need maximum support to get through phases in which we have to suffer. Together with the spectators, we need to create an atmosphere that gives us an advantage.
“The semifinal already feels a bit like the final. My approach is to line up like a final. Four injured players would probably be too many in total if we know they can’t play through. But there are different injuries. But we won’t approach it with the background that there’s still a game to play. We want to play the game in isolation. We have the freedom, we’ll put everything in tomorrow and then we’ll see.
“We want to get to Wembley and win there. We are ready, we have a lot of confidence. It was important to beat Arsenal. Now the next step is against Real Madrid. We want to be competitive and reach Wembley. We have to focus on tomorrow and be well prepared.” Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s massive Champions League showdown with Real Madrid? We’ve got you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show, where we dive into the game, Bayern Munich’s tenuous injury situation, a guess on Thomas Tuchel’s lineup, and a prediction on the game. Check it out on Spotify or below: