The Tottenham striker would dramatically transform a team that was relying on Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting for goals last season…
Thomas Tuchel’s red card in the closing stages of Bayern Munich’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City came as no surprise. He’d barely stopped ranting and raving for a second during the preceding 86 minutes at the Allianz Arena.
Tuchel’s rage was directed at the referee but, in truth, his players were the real source of his frustration. Dayot Upamecano had proven an complete liability over the course of the two games, giving away a goal in Manchester and then a penalty in Bavaria as he failed dismally to cope with City’s pressing, and Erling Haaland’s combination of pace and power.
But what killed Tuchel was Bayern’s inability to turn possession into goals, in both legs. They saw more of the ball not only at home but also in City’s backyard, while they also had more shots than Pep Guardiola’s side (31-24) overall, and as many on target (11 apiece) – and yet still lost 4-1 on aggregate.
“I try to not allow my players to focus on the result,” Tuchel said after the 3-0 loss at the Etihad. “I think it is not a deserved result, it does not tell the story of this match. We played with personality, courage and a lot of quality but we didn’t get the rewards we deserved. This does not feel like a 3-0 but it is a 3-0. So, it is a huge task to turn it around.”
And yet they actually could have done – had it not been for some dreadful finishing from the likes of Leroy Sane.
