Can Bayern Munich pull off a remarkable comeback against Manchester City? This is the question on everyone's mind as these two European giants prepare to face off at the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie as Tuchel's side look to overturn a 3-0 deficit.
The Bundesliga leaders find themselves in a worrying position after suffering a huge defeat at the Etihad Stadium a week ago. Despite sacking Julian Nagelsmann and hiring Thomas Tuchel to save their campaign, the Bavarians have crashed out of the DFB Pokal and are all but out in Europe.
However, it should be noted that the Germans weren't disorganized. In fact, Tuchel, regarded as one of the best tacticians in the game, set up his side extremely well, with Bernardo Silva even admitting that the scoreline could have gone both ways.
Nonetheless, in the UEFA Champions League, it is all about the moments, and an error from Dayot Upamecano and a poor aerial defending from Benjamin Pavard resulted in the return leg being an uphill battle.
Additionally, the club have recently had the wind knocked out of them following a run of poor results and performances. Their most recent outing was a home clash with Hoffenheim which ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Additionally, it has been roughly two weeks since Freiburg eliminated the German giants from the DFB Pokal.
And if that wasn't enough, the recent bust-up between Leroy Sane and Sadio Mane has resulted in a behind-the-scenes issue, with the Senegalese sensation punching the German winger in the dressing room following the first-leg defeat.
Mane was subsequently suspended and has since been fined. While the former Liverpool ace is in contention for this game, questions regarding his future have been raised less than a year since moving to the Allianz Arena.
Meanwhile, harmony reigns supreme in the Manchester City camp. A recent viral clip of Erling Haaland teasing John Stones over his British accent and his pronunciation of the iconic Louvre Museum is proof of the comradery between even the newcomers and old guards.
However, unity isn't the only thing going in the Cityzens' favor. Guardiola's men are in sensational form, having won their last 10 games in a row thanks to some lovely tactical tweaking from the brilliant Pep.
With the Spaniard fielding four center-back in his lineup recently and granting John Stones freedom to roam into midfield, the Premier League giants have found the right balance between defensive solidity and sustained attacks.
Haaland and Co. are also in a Premier League title race, with the reigning champions cutting Arsenal's lead at the top to four points over the weekend, and will take to the field in the FA Cup semifinals soon. This means Pep's men are in for a hectic fixtures list.
However, with the aforementioned Norwegian striker scoring for fun, Stones evolving into a spectacular Swiss army knife, and Jack Grealish finally vindicating his $139M transfer fee, the treble is well and truly on for Manchester City. However, underestimate Bayern Munich and the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Manchester United could evaporate in the blink of an eye.
Team news
Bayern Munich: Sadio Mane is available for selection despite his run-in with Sane while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has returned to training ahead of this clash. However, whether the Cameroonian striker will start is a separate question. Meanwhile, Manuel Neuer and Lucas Hernandez, Paul Wanner, and Gabriel Marusic are all sidelined.
Manchester City: Phil Foden has returned to training after undergoing surgery, meaning Pep has a fully-fit squad to choose from. The question on everyone's mind is whether Bernardo Silva will start again or whether Riyad Mahrez will be preferred on the right wing. Meanwhile, Stones, De Bruyne, and Haaland were all subbed off in the 3-1 win over Leicester and should thus be rested for this clash.
Key stats
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Man City are currently on a three-game winning streak against Bayern Munich.
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The German giants need to outscore the Cityzens by three goals in order to take the tie into extra time. However, Tuchel's men have failed to score more than one goal in each of their last four matches.
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Guardiola's men are unbeaten away from home since losing 1-0 at Tottenham back in February.
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Man City have suffered only one defeat in 20 encounters with German clubs in the UEFA Champions League (W16 D3).
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Match details, result and original broadcast info
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