"No one puts his feet up in Old Trafford" - Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel sends message ahead of UCL encounter against Manchester United
Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has claimed that no one can afford to 'put their feet up' at Old Trafford ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against Manchester United.
The two teams meet each other on Tuesday (12 December) in the final group-stage game in Group A. The Bavarian giants have already qualified as group winners but the Red Devils need a win to have any chance of making the knockout stages.
Despite the comfortable scenario for his team, Tuchel isn't taking anything for granted. He recently sat down for an interview with TNT Sports to talk about the match. The interviewer remarked that the German can put his 'feet up' at Old Trafford given the match was still hours away.
Tuchel responded:
"Put my feet up? (Laughs) No one puts his feet up at Old Trafford. It's one of the biggest stages in world football and it's a very special atmosphere, and I'm very happy to have the privilege to be on the sideline of a Champions League match at Old Trafford. So, on these kinds of occasions, you need to bring the best out of yourself and your team... nothing else matters."
Check out Tuchel's comments below:
Bayern won the reverse fixture at the Allianz Arena by a 4-3 scoreline. Tuchel, of course, has experience of facing the Red Devils at Old Trafford before during his time at Chelsea and then Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The German won both his games at the stadium with PSG while drawing 1-1 with Chelsea during his sole visit to Old Trafford.
Manchester United don't have their Champions League fate in their own hands ahead of Bayern fixture
Manchester United know that even a win against Bayern Munich will not be enough to qualify for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.
The Red Devils are currently sitting at the bottom of the group with just four points from five matches. Galatasaray and Copenhagen, who face each other in Denmark on the same day, both have five points to their name.
Bayern (13 points) do not have to worry about their qualification status as group toppers. Manchester United cannot qualify in any scenario where they won't win, and even then, they will need both Copenhagen and Gala to drop points.
The Red Devils, who last won the UEFA Champions League in 2008, finished in third last season to qualify for the competition. Doing so once again could be a tougher task this season with Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur also competing for the top four spots.
Manchester United are currently sixth with 26 points and trail fourth-placed Manchester City by seven points.