Bayern are not a candidate to beat Manchester City

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel says his side are not candidates to beat Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

The German coach will be hoping for another win against City after leading his former side Chelsea to the Champions League title by beating Pep Guardiola’s side in the final of the 2021 competition in the toughest match since he took charge of the Bavarian club last month.

German first division leaders Bayern have won the major European championship six times, while City are seeking their first continental title, but despite these titles, Tuchel feels all the pressure will be on the Manchester City squad.

Tuchel told reporters on Monday: “Today we won’t be candidates for victory, and that’s okay.” We should believe in ourselves and perform well.

Asked how Bayern coped with City, Tuchel said: Pep’s clubs have always been distinguished by his unique style. We will try to find ways to compete with or without the ball. There will be moments where we have to fight back, try to defend it and try to pass it and get more possessions.

Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt agreed with coach Duchel, stressing the importance of preventing City’s midfield from supporting his attack, particularly Champions League top scorer Erling Haaland.

De Ligt said: It’s obviously going to be a tough game. It is important that our security is well organized. Holland is a great player, but if he doesn’t get good passes from his teammates it will be difficult for him.

Bayern have announced that striker Eric Maxime will pull out of the Choubo-Modling tournament due to a knee injury. Tuchel said he had a short list of alternatives.

He added: “There’s no reason why Serge Gnabry can’t play in attack. He may not be very tall, but Thomas Muller and Sadio Mane are.

However, the German coach admitted that the absence of his Cameroonian striker could prove useful when defending from free kicks.

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