At first Thomas Tuchel still looked disbelieving, then came a liberated cry and finally the double, clenched winner's fist. Four times Thomas Tuchel, the new coach of our FC Bayern, had the pleasure of celebrating a goal from his team in the top match against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening. And in the end he celebrated a completely deserved 4-2 victory against BVB.
After an eventful week, FCB are back at the summit of the Bundesliga, two points ahead with eight games remaining. The pressure was huge, the team stood up to it. The delight and relief after the win were therefore great.
Results brings confidence
"It was the start. It was the result we desperately wanted. That will give us calmness and confidence," said Tuchel in his first analysis.
He had admitted beforehand that he had been "tense" and in view of the schedule in the coming weeks, the tension will most likely remain at a high level.
Tuchel stood on the sidelines in a tracksuit, actively coaching, gesticulating a lot and taking notes. "We are like in a band. The team and I now have to find our common rhythm. Games are the main thing that help now," Tuchel knows.
On Tuesday it's the DFB Cup quarter-final against SC Freiburg at the Allianz Arena, and then the same opponents away from home in the league on Saturday, before the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Manchester City. The next few weeks require utmost concentration.
For large parts of the game against BVB, Bayern showed what they're capable of in impressive fashion. First Gregor Kobel miskicked the ball (13'), then Thomas Müller struck twice (18, 23'), with Kingsley Coman making it 4-0 (50'). Emre Can (72' pen) and Donyell Malen (90') reduced the deficit, but the victory was never in dagner.
Müller sees a statement
"Being 3-0 up at the break gives you a good feeling," added Müller, who netted his 25th brace in the Bundesliga. "It was clear from the outset that the title is in our hands. It's obviously a statement where you saw: when Bayern have to, they can."
Tuchel tweaked a few things during the week, which clearly had an effect. "He tried to find a system that can play to our strengths," revealed Joshua Kimmich, as Müller attested: The coach gave us assurance."
As well as assurance, the bite in the tackle as well as the desire to really give 100 percent to the cause was noticeable. The statistic of 14 chances created speaks for itself.
Tuchel wants improvement
Leroy Sané was particularly dangerous. The attacker was lively, agile and shone, among other things, with an excellent pass to set up Coman for 4-0. "Bayern played well and could have scored even more goals. It's not a good night for us. The season isn't over yet, but it hurts a lot" BVB captain Marco Reus assessed.
Nevertheless, Tuchel also saw potential for improvement: "We played against a very strong opponent, so not everything can be at the limit. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement. We are relieved and we are happy. But there is still work to do, and it continues on Tuesday."
The start has been made.
The reaction to the match against Borussia Dortmund:
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