Prior to a vital stretch of matches in the Bundesliga and Champions League, Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel has urged his players to maintain a positive outlook.
After suffering a shocking 2-1 loss to Freiburg at home in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, Bayern will travel to play them in the league on Saturday before taking on Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on the following Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Tuchel repeatedly mentioned a need to be “positive” despite the cup setback.
“We need to continue with a positive approach, we can be angry but still be positive,” he said, later adding: “We need a reaction, but we would have needed one even if we won.
“People don’t want to hear it but there were positive things in [the Freiburg] game… Things can happen where the result is probably not right after a game like this but we have to accept it.
“We are lacking a bit of precision in the last pass, a bit of trust, cohesion, creativity. We need form and that will only come back if we remain positive, even though we were unhappy with the result.”
On the reaction of his players following the loss to a 95th-minute Lucas Holer penalty at the Allianz Arena, Tuchel added: “They are very critical of themselves.
I was telling them the same thing I have told you, that we just have to accept it, that the coach is talking about positive things about the game even though no-one wants to talk about it.
“We can have a bad mood for a couple of days but that doesn’t help anyone, you need a positive mindset to move forward.”
24 – With their 2-1 in the cup quarterfinal, SC Freiburg has won for the first time an away game at Bayern München in the 24th attempt in all comps. In 23 Bundesliga games in Munich Freiburg could manage only three draws and lost 20 games. History. #FCBSCF pic.twitter.com/4OFgs0h9SE
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 4, 2023
Tuchel confirmed the Freiburg game will come too early for injured pair Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mathys Tel, while Dayot Upamecano misses out through suspension.
When asked who can play as the striker in Choupo-Moting’s absence, he said: “Mathys Tel can play as a nine, that was his answer when I asked him his position, but he is injured.
“Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry can play there as well, they will be my players of choice.”
The former Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea boss was not keen to look beyond Saturday to Tuesday’s trip to Manchester, but he acknowledged he cannot use Freiburg as preparation given the difference in approach.
“I don’t believe that we can practice the things we need against Man City, Freiburg play a completely different way,” he said.