After Bayern’s unadorned 2-0 home win against Cologne, coach Thomas Tuchel spoke of defensive weaknesses – and went into more detail about the “case” of Dayot Upamecano
Given their hopeless position in the championship race – Leverkusen can win the most important national title for the first time on Sunday – Bayern’s home game against Cologne became a chore. In the end, the Munich side won 2-0, but without shining. Especially not defensively.
“We had great chances to score, but we also allowed great chances to score,” said Thomas Tuchel in his opening statement at the press conference on Saturday evening: “There were two or three in the opening 20 minutes – and then of course we conceded another great chance in the final minute and helped create it ourselves. ”
The scene in the 89th minute, in which Dayot Upamecano played the ball into the feet of Luca Waldschmidt without any need. Eric Dier just managed to iron out the situation and FC striker Steffen Tigges was also unable to capitalize on the follow-up shot. Four minutes later, Thomas Müller capped the scoring – and allowed Upamecano to breathe a sigh of relief.
When asked about the fickle Frenchman, Tuchel spoke at length. “I hope he knows and feels that he has our full support,” began the Bayern coach: “We know his potential, we know his qualities. I personally know about his huge ambition. ”
Then comes the bigger but. “Of course, there are too many big individual mistakes at the moment, they decide the games at the highest level,” Tuchel clarified: “Cologne let us off the hook again today, because that would have been a gross individual mistake, of course. And of course Upamecano was directly involved in too many goals recently. ”
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However, “such phases” are also normal at this level. “Then there is simply all the more support and all the more closeness,” said Tuchel, explaining his approach to the Frenchman, who was substituted after 61 minutes: “I know about his ambition, we know about his potential. And that may be necessary on Wednesday, that he plays, that he has to play, that he has to come in to possibly secure a huge success for us.”
Tuchel doesn’t have time to “play catch-up or constantly put his finger in the wound. Instead, we have to remain positive and he has our full support.”
Upamecano has made six appearances in the Champions League this season, but never from the bench. After his poor performance in Rome, his services were no longer required for the time being
