"Meeting between two of the best managers in the world" - Ilkay Gundogan previews UCL clash between Manchester City and Bayern Munich
Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has shared his thoughts ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash against Bayern Munich. The Cityzens will host the Bavarians in the first leg on Tuesday, April 11.
Gundogan hailed the teams' managers Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel, having played under both. Bayern Munich recently sacked Julian Nagelsmann and appointed Tuchel.
Gundogan, who played under the German at Borussia Dortmund, said about the upcoming UCL clash on BILD:
“It’s a meeting between two of the best managers in the world. Both stand for their style and love for details."
Speaking further about playing under Tuchel, the Manchester City skipper said:
“Training under him was of extreme quality and intensity. He loves details, for example he would cut many sequences to show you exactly what he wants to see and also what worked well. That helped me make very big steps forward, although it was only a season. He (Tuchel) is someone who says his opinion openly. For me that’s something that speaks for him and not against him.”
Tuchel's first game in charge of Bayern Munich came against his former club Dortmund at home in Bundesliga, which they won 4-2. The Bavarians were then knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by Freiburg in the quarterfinals.
Gundogan, meanwhile, claimed that Manchester City will look to give it their all against the German side in their quest for the Champions League trophy. He said:
"Both teams want to win the Champions League and will invest everything into it. We know about Bayern’s strengths, especially when they play at home.”
Manchester City and Bayern Munich's forms ahead of their Champions League clash
After being eliminated from the DFB-Pokal by Freiburg, Bayern Munich bounced back by beating the same opposition 1-0 in the Bundesliga in their last game.
Tuchel's side hold a two-point lead over Borussia Dortmund atop the Bundesliga table. Manchester City, meanwhile, come into the game on the back of an emphatic 4-1 win over Southampton in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola's side have scored four or more goals in each of their previous four games across competitions, scoring 21 goals in total in those games. City currently trail Arsenal by six points in the Premier League title race but they have a game in hand over the Gunners.