Thomas Tuchel has a big task on his hands as the new head coach of Bayern Munich: hosting Borussia Dortmund in his first game back in the Bundesliga (similar to what Hansi Flick experienced). The 49-year-old ex-Chelsea FC manager will undoubtedly be working hard to make a good first impression, but someone from Dortmund isn’t swayed.
Die Schwarzgelben sporting director Sebastian Kehl recently told Sky Sports Deutschland (via @iMiaSanMia) that he is unsure if Tuchel’s Bayern is any different to Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern. “I don’t know if Bayern will be better on Saturday with Thomas Tuchel than they were under Julian Nagelsmann,” Kehl opined. “I don’t think this will have a big effect on the game because many international players were away and there weren’t many training sessions.”
It wouldn’t be surprising if this was one of Dortmund’s mind games to gain the upper hand; bluffing seems to be the norm these days. They recently assumed that the Rekordmeister will play Jamal Musiala right after he picked up a knock (though it looks like he will play). Last month, Nagelsmann called Paris Saint-Germain’s bluff after it was announced that Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappè might miss the Champions League round of 16 games through injury (both ended up playing). If Nagelsmann can correctly identify a bluff, then it shouldn’t be a problem for Tuchel.
If you want more thoughts on the HUGE Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund match, check out our Preview podcast: