Bayern Munich: Thomas Tuchel pleased with response from players at Old Trafford
Normality resumed for Bayern Munich on Tuesday as they got back to winning ways after a terrible weekend in the Bundesliga. The Bavarian club clinched a narrow 1-0 win away at Manchester United on Tuesday in the Champions League to bounce back from last weekend’s humiliating 5-1 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt.
There was nothing at stake for Bayern in this game since they had already clinched the top spot in the group stage. However, a good result was crucial after the defeat against Frankfurt. In any other situation, Tuchel would have heavily rotated the starting XI. Courtesy of defeat on the weekend, the German coach went ahead with a strong team.
Die Roten didn’t deliver a vintage performance on Tuesday, but getting the win was necessary to get things back on track after the shocker of a game in Frankfurt. They managed to keep Manchester United at bay for the majority of the game and scored the crucial goal to get the victory.
Thomas Tuchel was pleased with the way his team bounced back from the setback in Frankfurt. While talking to the media after the game at Old Trafford (via iMiaSanMia), Tuchel admitted that his players performed well collectively across all areas of the pitch.
""It's never comfortable playing at Old Trafford. We did good. We defended very well as a team, we didn't allow any chances. It wasn't comfortable, but we deserved to win. We needed a reaction, we got a reaction, personality, aggressiveness, good energy. It was one of our best performances in the group stage over 90 minutes.""
- Thomas Tuchel
The record Bundesliga champions lacked the efficiency in the final third against Manchester United to clinch a comfortable victory. However, they created a decent number of chances, which should encourage Tuchel going forward.
From a defensive perspective, Bayern allowed hosts to have only one shot on target. The back four defended brilliantly to keep the hosts quiet in the final third. With 59% possession, Bayern also dictated the tempo of the game as the midfield pairing of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka delivered a good performance in and out of possession.
The win on Tuesday also ensured that Bayern extended their unbeaten run in the group stages of the Champions League to 40 games. They have not consistently won at Old Trafford in the past, so it was good to see the team getting the victory at one of the biggest stadiums in Europe.
Next. Story Link. Bryan Zaragoza reveals reasons behind joining Bayern Munich. dark
Bayern will now switch their attention to the Bundesliga as they host VfB Stuttgart on Sunday. The Bavarian club needs to win against Stuttgart to remain in touching distance of league leader Bayer Leverkusen. They are currently second in the Bundesliga, four points behind Xabi Alonso’s team. From a Champions League perspective, Bayern will know their opponent in the round of 16 on December 18.