Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has confessed to struggling with sleepless nights ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal against Manchester City. The former Chelsea boss is set to lead the Bavarians to the first leg of the tie which will take place on Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium.
Tuchel, who only took over as Bayern's manager two weeks ago, revealed in a news conference on Monday that the preparations for the game have taken a toll on him. After marking his return to the Bundesliga with an emphatic win over his former club Borussia Dortmund, the 49-year-old saw the dream of a potential treble go down the drain following a DFB Pokal quarter-final defeat to Freiburg.
He subsequently returned to winning ways in the proceeding game, beating the same opponents in the league. In the build-up to Tuesday's European encounter, Tuchel is poised to avoid a defeat but has revealed that he has struggled with rest lately.
Addressing the media in his pre-match press conference, he said: "I will try to go to bed early. I hope I will be able to sleep. The best preparation is sleep, but sometimes it is hard to sleep.
"I went to the training ground early today because I couldn't sleep."
Despite Bayern Munich winning the Champions League six times, Tuchel added that Manchester City is the favorite to win the game. The Citizens, who featured in the final two seasons ago, are still waiting to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
"The way Man City plays is relatively clear," Tuchel said. You can clearly see that Pep [Guardiola] has been around for six or seven years. It's the highest level that European football currently has to offer.
"They are the gold standard and they're in top form."
The upcoming match-up will be Tuchel's first competitive game in England since he was sacked by Chelsea in September 2022.
