FC Bayern needs miracles against Manchester City – Thomas Tuchel hopes to return to Choupo-Moting

Oliver Kahn and FC Bayern know what the hour has come.

“We have to do everything we can to make the seemingly impossible possible,” demanded CEO Kahn undeterred after the 3-0 loss in the first leg – knowing full well that failure would also fall back on the already ailing bosses. Coach Thomas Tuchel reiterated aggressively: “It’s only over when we’re in the shower after the second leg.”

In order for the obligatory hygiene measure to remain in happy memory late on Wednesday evening, one thing is needed above all: offensive fireworks.

FC Bayern: Toothlessness in front of the opponent’s goal

Sounds basically feasible if there weren’t two major obstacles to overcome.

The much more serious problem is the German record champions’ lack of teeth in front of the opponent’s box. In the past four games, Munich have scored three goals, all of them from defenders. Against the best team on the continent you need exactly that number of goals in just one game – at least.

The question arises: Who should currently do the booths at FC Bayern?

Bayern without a striker goal for weeks

Problems that the opponent from the north of England does not currently have. City’s goalkeeper Erling Haaland has scored 14 goals in the past six games and is brimming with confidence.

The Skyblues lost under Guardiola (since 2016) three times with a difference of three or more goals, most recently in 2018 against Liverpool – at that time with goalscorer Sadio Mané. The Senegalese, who was back in the squad after his suspension because of the tangible cabin dispute with Leroy Sané, scored seven times against the “sky blue” and is a wonder specialist: in 2019 he went further with the Reds against Barcelona after a 0-3 loss in the first leg.

However, Munich’s king transfer is currently in a completely different shape than four years ago.

Hopes rest on Choupo-Moting

But there is still an encouragement for Bayern. Striker Choupo-Moting is fit again and could solve the offensive problems. After his return to training on Monday, the 34-year-old also played the final session for the duel on Wednesday.

The Cameroonian is the last remaining goalkeeper in the Bayern squad and has already scored 17 goals in all competitions this season. He has already proven several times that he can also provide the important impetus in big games.

In 2020 he scored in the quarter-finals against Atalanta Bergamo with his 2-1 winner in the third minute of injury time for PSG’s semi-finals, a year later he scored in both the first and second leg against the Parisians for Bayern, who was eliminated anyway (2:3 in Paris, 1:0 in Munich). in the round of 16 second leg of this year’s campaign, he scored again in the 2-0 home win against PSG. So you could say: Choupo-Moting is the personified hope of the people of Munich.

Ilkay Gündogan, captain of the Citizens, does not feel safe despite the first leg. “The Bavarians have the quality, especially at home, of scoring several goals against every opponent,” said Gündogan, who also warned: “There were a number of comebacks that absolutely nobody expected.”