Bayern boss Tuchel laments ‘big setback’ ahead of City visit

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel said he was surprised with his team’s lack of “anger in the belly” after a tame home draw with Hoffenheim on Saturday ahead of their Champions League return leg against Manchester City.

Bayern were thrashed 3-0 in Manchester in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Tuesday and face a mountain to climb in Wednesday’s second game.

They missed a chance to move four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim as second-placed Borussia Dortmund also drew 3-3 with 10-man Stuttgart.

“We only had very, very rare moments of good play,” Tuchel said. 

“We played with little energy, little spirit, little change of pace, little conviction and little confidence.”

It was a disappointing end to a tumultuous week in which Sadio Mane was suspended by the club after a physical altercation with Leroy Sane following the City game which left his teammate with a cut lip.

“It’s definitely a big setback for us, in performance, in conviction and in self-confidence,” added Tuchel.

Fortunately for Bayern, a late capitulation from Dortmund on Saturday — who led 2-0 and 3-2 — keeps them clear with six games remaining in their bid for an 11th straight Bundesliga title.

Tuchel has just two wins in five games since taking over as coach from the sacked Julian Nagelsmann last month, with Bayern also knocked out of the German Cup by Freiburg.

Bayern centre-back Matthijs de Ligt said Bayern’s performance “was not acceptable”.

“We are lucky it stayed 1-1 — it can’t get any worse than today.”