Opinion Champions League
This draw feels like a victory for Bayern
As of: 01:32 a.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
Harry Kane (M) with teammates after the penalty to make it 2-1
Source: dpa/Sven Hoppe
FC Bayern fought for a draw at Arsenal FC. And surprised in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a significantly improved style of play. This is extremely important, especially for coach Thomas Tuchel.
This special football evening in London was extremely important for FC Bayern. Even though it wasn’t enough to win at Arsenal despite taking the lead – the 2-2 (2-1) score in the quarter-finals of the Champions League is a strong signal, an exclamation point for Munich. The German record champions are back. So far only a snapshot, but it means a lot for the world club.
It was a thrilling game that deserved a draw. After disappointing performances in the Bundesliga, the Munich team impressed. They turned a deficit into a lead and showed a completely different face than last. More speed, more efficiency, more resistance: the performance in the Emirates Stadium can give Bayern hope of reaching the semi-finals before the second leg in a week.
This draw feels like a victory for them in the current situation and discussion about coach Thomas Tuchel. It was a success, especially for Tuchel, due to the way he performed. After this performance, which sports director Max Eberl aptly called “grown-up”, he will remain coach until the end of the season.
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Bayern took advantage of their chances in London and (finally) exuded more conviction again. stichele’s plan worked; he had precisely analyzed Arsenal’s weaknesses; with Konrad Laimer, Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane in the starting line-up, Bayern were on a par with the strong Premier League leaders. Full-back Alphonso Davies was their weak point; he is suspended for the second leg after his yellow card.
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Tuchel coached very committedly on the line. At least on this night, it looked like he was totally getting the team.
Bayern were also lucky in the encounter; Arsenal should have been leading 2-0 quite early on. There were also discussions in stoppage time about a possible penalty for Arsenal and, before that, about a strange handball. But Kingsley Coman almost scored the winner shortly before the final whistle. To quarrel or to be happy – after this intense game, they are close to each other.
This so far unsuccessful season for Bayern is going in waves. A high was often followed by a low, and a good performance was followed by a weak performance. That’s their big problem this season. They must maintain the standard shown on this special evening of football in England and confirm their performance in the second leg. Your dream of the semi-finals is alive.