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Thomas Muller of Bayern Munich believes the German giants were dealt the most difficult Champions League draw possible ahead of their quarter-final tie against Manchester City.
However, the veteran German forward maintains that his side still have a 50/50 chance of defeating Manchester City.
Muller, 33, has spent three years working with Pep Guardiola at Bayern, so he is aware of the magnitude of the challenge his team confronts on Tuesday night at the Etihad.
The veteran striker is sincere enough to acknowledge that this is not the contest that the Bundesliga champions desired. However, his words of reverence for the Sky Blues before the first leg of the quarterfinal are tempered with a warning.
“Statistically speaking, the match against City is probably the hardest draw we could have got in my opinion,” he explained.
“If we played 10 games against each other the odds would probably be very even – and at Bayern, those odds are not to our liking,” he said.
“You don’t see such a strong influence of a coach on the direction of a team as much as you do with Guardiola,” Muller said, “Teams coached by him are a goal threat with every attack.”
“They always move the opponent around the pitch and it takes great strength to cope with that.”
Thomas Tuchel Aiming to Get Bayern Back on Track
Bayern defeated rivals Borussia Dortmund in Thomas Tuchel’s first game in command after Julian Nagelsmann’s dismissal.
Last week, they were stunned by Freiburg at home in the German Cup, but they bounced back to defeat the same opponent on Saturday.
Joao Cancelo, a City fullback on loan, will be in their squad, along with ex-Etihad favorites Leroy Sane and former Liverpool attacker Sadio Mane.
Tuchel has been tasked with reuniting a squad that was fractured by Nagelsmann’s departure after the club alleged the 35-year-old had lost the dressing room.
Muller was rumored to have been one of the key actors in the conflict. Mane, Serge Gnabry, and the injured Manuel Neuer were also involved in conflicts with Nagelsmann.
Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, both midfielders, spoke out against the club’s attempt to scapegoat the players for the firing.
And Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus has accused former teammate and Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn of lying about the circumstances surrounding Nagelsmann’s departure. Muller acknowledges that it will be difficult for Bayern to contain City over two legs.
Man City Have ‘A Weapon’ in Erling Haaland
The Germany international does not believe that Erling Haaland’s debut at City last summer has negatively impacted the team’s dynamic.
Thomas Muller and his Bayern teammates know the Norwegian well from his time at Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
“A Pep team with Haaland is still a Pep team,” Muller said, “In Erling they have an absolute weapon. He is an excellent striker.”
“A special aspect of games like these is the demand it creates for tickets,” Muller explained, “Everyone wants to see the game. For me, such games are always a pleasure.”
“We got a lot of energy from the fans when we beat PSG in the last round. That is worth its weight in gold.”
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