FC Bayern Munich is on the verge of elimination in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The first leg against Manchester City on Tuesday evening ended 0:3 from the point of view of Bayern, who now have to risk everything in the second leg next Wednesday (21:00 in the F.A.Z. live ticker for the Champions League and DAZN) to turn the deficit around. Despite a decent start to the game by the guests, the defeat was ultimately also performance-related in terms of altitude – and could have been even higher towards the end.
"Brutal, especially the first 60 minutes were very, very good," Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich summed up afterwards on Prime Video. Colleague Matthijs de Ligt said: "The result is bitter." And coach Thomas Tuchel said: "I don't see the result at all." The Bavarians had been punished in their best phases. "I refuse to talk down the performance in any way, I'm highly satisfied."
City coach Pep Guardiola said: "Here in our stadium we are really good, have our momentum, develop our game." "It's the same for Bayern in front of their fans in Munich. I was there, I know it. When they get into their game, they can quickly score one, two, three goals."
Guardiola fielded almost the same starting eleven against Bayern as in the 4-1 win against Southampton at the weekend. The only difference: In right midfield, Bernardo Silva played from the beginning instead of Riyad Mahrez. Otherwise, it remained with the three-man chain in defence and two central midfielders as well as the in-form Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish behind Erling Haaland in the forward line.
Tuchel changes
Guardiola also had no reason for major rebuilding after results of recent 7-0 against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, 6-0 against the second division club FC Burnley in the FA Cup and two 4-1 victories in the Premier League against Liverpool FC and Southampton. Four games, 21 goals, two goals conceded. That was something to be proud of.
Thomas Tuchel had admitted before the game that he had not slept very well – Guardiola's expected tactics occupied him too much. In his fourth game on the Bayern bench, he finally changed to some positions: He remained with the proven 4-2-3-1 formation, but unlike in the 1-0 win against SC Freiburg, Thomas Müller, Sadio Mané and João Cancelo, on loan from Manchester City, only sat on the bench.
Instead, Kingsley Coman started in the right attacking midfield, Leon Goretzka next to Joshua Kimmich in front of the back four, where Dayot Upamecano, who was suspended against Freiburg, was back in the game. Jamal Musiala moved into the middle of the attacking three-man line behind Serge Gnabry.
In the continuous rain in northern England – coupled with a tight crosswind on this cool evening – a game developed without any major chances. City could not build up their usual control of the game, because Bayern always intervened well and disturbed at the decisive moment.