Bayern Munich vs Manchester City
UEFA Champions League
Quarter Final
2nd leg
Wednesday
19th April 2023
Allianz Arena
Guardiola can greet another extra weapon at City
Phil Foden is back at Manchester City. The 22-year-old Englishman was missing last month due to an operation on his appendix, but is making his comeback in the match selection for the squatter against Bayern Munich.
Foden is City’s top scorer in all competitions this season after Erling Haaland with thirteen goals, but had to watch the last four matches in front of the TV. Guardiola confirms at his press conference on Tuesday evening that the Englishman will travel to Munich for the Champions League return against Bayern.
“We are very happy with that,” said the manager. “That is definitely good news for us. Phil has only participated in one training, but we decided to take him anyway. He will be on the bench,” Guardiola said.
He concluded, “Of course he can’t play 90 minutes yet, but he doesn’t need too many training sessions to be completely fit. Phil is important to us, not only against Bayern tomorrow, but also in the coming months, when we have a busy schedule.”
This is how Bayern goes for the Miracle of Munich
Bayern Munich believes in a turnaround against Manchester City. The Germans have to brush away the 3-0 defeat from the first game in the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening. Tuchel explains how he prepares his team for this.
“I don’t want to call it a miracle, but it will come close, if we make it,” Tuchel said at his press conference in Munich on Tuesday. “Manchester City has been in top form for weeks, we are a bit lacking in that form. The draw against Hoffenheim didn’t help: we lack some self-confidence at the moment, we seem to think too much, you also see that with our attackers,” Tuchel refers to his team’s relative goal drought: in the past four matches Bayern only managed to score three times.
“But things can change very quickly in football. It can also all suddenly come out, that sometimes depends on small moments, where you get confidence or belief. We need to find him momentum. If we are ahead at halftime, anything is possible,” emphasizes the German coach, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 by beating City in the final.
He concluded, “It’s a high mountain to climb. When you’re at the foot it can be overwhelming, but we need to take it one step at a time. If we do well in the first half, the crowd will support it. They can give us the energy to take the next step and to persevere towards the end.”
Benjamin Pavard also believes in a miracle. “We have seen often enough that such a result can be made good. And we know it won’t be easy, but with the fans behind us, we have a chance. We are ready, we will do everything we can to win this match,” the full-back said.
