Thomas Tuchel to follow Chelsea blueprint ahead of crucial Arsenal Champions League tie

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has insisted his side will be playing to win when they take on Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.

Tuchel’s side are level with the Gunners after the first leg in North London, but they hold a slight advantage by hosting this week’s pivotal second leg. The German head coach is no stranger to winning this competition after masterminding Chelsea’s success in 2021.

During that campaign, the Blues made home advantage count in the semi-final second leg as they beat Real Madrid 2-0 on the night to win 3-1 on aggregate. Chelsea then employed an attacking style in the final to upset the odds and beat Manchester City.

The 50-year-old proved he still holds the same mentality three years later, despite facing squad challenges. First-choice full-back Alphonso Davies will miss the game through suspension, and when asked about his plan to replace the Canadian, Tuchel replied: “We may do something crazy.”

When asked if this ‘crazy’ decision may be to move a centre-back over to the full-back role, Tuchel smiled and added: “No, we want to win.” The Bavarian club will also have to accomplish their goals without two other key players, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman, who are both injured and will miss the game.

As for the Gunners, they will need to delve deep within themselves to produce the result needed to reach the last four. Mikel Arteta’s side lost 2-0 to Aston Villa at the weekend and are now two points behind leaders City in the hunt for the Premier League title.