LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Thomas Tuchel has stated that he “fell in love” with the Bayern Munich squad during humiliating loss to Manchester City in the Champions League.
The first leg of the quarterfinal match featured the defending Premier League champions beating Bayern 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
As it stands, Bayern needs a miracle to win the second leg at the Allianz Arena after Rodri’s screamer and some defensive miscues in the closing 20 minutes allowed Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland to score as well.
Tuchel acknowledged that his squad lacked “confidence and form,” but instead of being critical of them, he commended their efforts.
“Of course, the result is bitter for us. The way my squad played today made me a little more in love with them. Despite how bizarre that may sound, that was a lot of fun. I believe that our players’ form and confidence could have used some improvement,” he said to Prime Video.
Meanwhile, both the goalkeeper of Manchester City, Ederson and the defender Ruben Dias were in outstanding form as they repeatedly stopped Bayern’s attacks.
Tuchel argued that the outcome of the game did not accurately reflect what had happened because Leroy Sane was repeatedly denied the opportunity to score, while Matthijs de Ligt and Kingsley Coman also unable to convert their attempts.
He continued, “I completely disagree with the outcome. “We received punishment for phases where we were the superior team. Today’s punishment was simply horrible. Up until we fell behind 2-0, I believed we were doing a great job. I don’t want to downplay the outcome because, up until the 70th minute, I watched an excellent performance.”
In an effort to recover a 3-0 first-leg deficit, Bayern will play Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday before hosting Manchester City at the Allianz Arena the following Wednesday.
