Thomas Tuchel has praised Bayern Munich’s performance against Manchester City in the Champions League despite losing 3-0 and says he ‘fell in love’ with his team.
The German champions, who have endured a rather mixed season by their usual standards, fell behind at the Etihad after 27 minutes to a stunning long-range effort from Rodri, who curled the ball into the top corner with his weaker left foot.
Bayern rallied at the start of the second half, though, and forced Ederson into a string of good saves, but an error from Dayot Upamecano gifted City a second goal through Bernardo Silva.
Yann Sommer was forced to make a number of excellent stops – with City having nine shots on target in the match – and the tie appeared to be put to bed when Erling Haaland volleyed home to make it 3-0.
Tuchel, though, was pleased with what he saw from his team – who actually had 56% possession, the most by an opposing team at the Etihad since Pep Guardiola took charge – and insists the quarter-final tie is not over yet.
‘I don’t agree with the result at all,’ said the former Chelsea boss to Amazon Prime after the match.
‘We were punished in periods where we were the better team. We were just brutally punished today.
‘I thought our performance was very good until the 2-0 goal. I don’t want to talk down the result, I thought it was a very good performance until the 70th minute.
‘I think we deserved at least one goal and gave away one or two too many. I think our players lacked a bit of confidence and form. Obviously the result is bitter for us. I fell a little bit in love with my team today, the way they performed. Even if it sounds strange, it was a lot of fun.’
On Bayern’s hopes of a comeback, he added to BT Sport: ‘It’s football. It’s a home match. It’s a German team. We will never give up until the shower is warm after the match!’
Guardiola also felt Bayern played extremely well despite the scoreline and was put through the wringer on the sidelines, saying at his post-match press conference: ‘It was not comfortable. Emotionally I am destroyed.
‘I have [aged] 10 more years today. It was so demanding and now I have to relax, day off and then Leicester and travel again.
‘I know what we have to do. If you don’t perform they are able to score one, two, three. I know that and the players know it. It was an incredible result but we do our game with huge personality.
‘Here we have our chances, especially this season and we are clinical. It’s the same in Munich. I have been there for three years and I remember what it means and the people. We are going there to score goals and to try and win the game.’
MORE : Ruthless Manchester City rip Bayern Munich apart in Champions League classic
MORE : Erling Haaland on the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Pep Guardiola
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