Bayern Munich Thomas Tuchel readies for “challenging” opponent in RB Leipzig

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel understands that his team is not used to battling for a championship this late into the season.

“Usually the title is decided earlier for Bayern. We have to look at ourselves and focus on our tasks. We have a tough opponent ahead of us. We want to be able to show a good performance. Only the three points tomorrow count for us,” Tuchel said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “We know Leipzig’s strengths, especially in transition. If we want to control the game, it’s important to prevent counterattacks before they happen. We have to be careful with the ball. We have to get the right mix. It’s a challenging task.”

Both clubs need a victory, which should make every possession extreme intense. Last week against Schalke 04, Bayern Munich opted for an attacking-heavy 4-1-4-1, which put Leon Goretzka on the bench. When asked if that would be the case again, Tuchel did not give anything away.

“Leon always has chances to start. He trained very well. We went for a more attacking approach against Schalke. Ryan Gravenberch deserved to start too, after his performance in Bremen. It always depends on the opponent,” Tuchel remarked.

There were questions about the status of a few players including Thomas Muller (back) and Yann Sommer (sickness). Tuchel indicated that mostly everyone was ready to go: “Lucas Hernández and Manuel Neuer are out, Alphonso Davies is still unavailable and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting isn’t ready for tomorrow either. Everyone else was in training and ready to play.”

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