Tuchel and Bayern Munich need a miracle to overturn first-leg result against Manchester City
The last few weeks have been very testing for Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich. The German manager arrived amidst huge fanfare but all the optimism seems to have fizzled out.
Bayern were still chasing a treble when Tuchel was appointed after the sacking of Julian Nagelsmann and the club had a promising season ahead of them. And despite beating Borussia Dortmund in Tuchel's debut game in charge, the Bavarians have since won just one in four games and also exited the German Cup after losing to Freiburg.
They also face the prospect of elimination from the UEFA Champions League after being battered 3-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie against Manchester City.
This is certainly unfamiliar territory for Bayern and that, coupled with the wrangling in the dressing room among some players, leaves them in a very precarious situation.
Bayern Munich need a miracle against Manchester City in the second leg
Bayern have often tormented their opponents. For years, they humiliated clubs like Arsenal and Barcelona in Europe, but they are the ones on the receiving end now.
Not only were they largely outplayed by Manchester City in the first leg, but were also resoundingly beaten at the Etihad.
Overturning a 3-0 deficit is already a difficult task and doing it against Pep Guardiola’s side makes it more arduous. It’s a tall order for Tuchel and his side, who haven’t been at their best in recent weeks.
Last week’s 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim was the latest evidence of Bayern’s struggles, as they couldn’t build on an early lead and eventually conceded an equalizer after a late collapse.
Unlike Bayern, who are struggling, Manchester City are currently playing their best football and have won each of their last 10 matches across competitions.
The Cityzens may be traveling to the Allianz Arena but remain heavy favorites against Bayern. It’ll take a monumental capitulation for them to give away the game.
"We need a wonder, a miracle. I don't know if talking about a 4-0 or 5-1 is appropriate - you need to be realistic - but we believe in ourselves,” Tuchel told Sky Sports ahead of the game.
"It's a huge mountain to climb and that's why we need to believe in ourselves but we don't want to be dreamers. Dreaming for me is always close to sleeping and you cannot sleep for one second.
"We need to believe and believing means we have it in our own hands to make things happen. We need to make it happen by team spirit and performance and energy. We are not alone, we can fight as a team and we have our spectators who will be ready to fight with us."
As impressive as Bayern’s record is in the Champions League, they need a miracle to overturn their heavy defeat to Manchester City in the first leg. They might match Guardiola's side or even record a narrow win, but only a miracle would see them turn this tie around.