BAYERN Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has insisted that his side will not underestimate Manchester United as the two clubs clash tomorrow night in the UEFA Champions League in Munich.
United have had a torrid start to the season, losing three of their opening five Premier League matches, including a sorry surrender at home to Brighton on Saturday.
In stark contrast, Bayern Munich are unbeaten in the German Bundesliga this term, winning three of their first four matches.
However, Tuchel insists Erik ten Hag’s misfiring side are capable of causing his team problems.
“We can never be sure about Manchester United and we need to control the game. They can be very dangerous,” Tuchel said during his pre-match press conference in Munich today.
“They have really good transition game with Rasmus Hojlund and have lots of speed so me must be alert and can’t ever switch off.
“I know the start, as far as points are concerned, hasn’t been great but they had good spells against Brighton [on Saturday].
“Brighton are always difficult to play against and only a few teams do a good job against them. United have dangerous, high individual quality in transition situations.”
Tuchel, who led Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021, believes the criticism of his United counterpart Erik ten Hag concerning a lack of playing style is over the top
The German said: “There is always a lot of noise around Manchester United. A lot of pundits in the UK are from Manchester United. You have a legacy from Alex Ferguson which creates expectations around the club.
“All of us, me in Bayern and my colleague at Man United, want to achieve the same things. It is pretty common at Man United that little things become a bit bigger or the talking is a bit noisier.
“From what I know, they have a coaching environment where players can grow. That is what we do, to instil principles and rules to create a winning culture.
“For me it is evident to see the way I see Man United play. The results maybe don’t but it is a team full of quality and we will never underestimate them.
“I really think Bayern Munich against Manchester United is a big game. Two big European clubs playing each other in the Champions League. We are proud to be part of it and we want to play our part so the fans can enjoy it.”
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane also spoke at the press conference and agreed with his boss that tomorrow’s opponents should not be written off.
“They’ve been going through a tough spell recently but sometimes that can make a team dangerous because they want to respond,” the England captain said.
“We’re at home and want to control the game but we need to be careful of their threat. I don’t think about form because every game can be different.
“There can be big response from teams going through a difficult spell but we need to start on the front foot.
“They are a threat on the counter with quick players but overall we want to dominate and hopefully we can break them down as the game goes on.”
When asked about coming up against Harry Maguire and the criticism the Manchester United and England defender has received, Kane said: “I think H [Harry Maguire] has come under some unnecessary scrutiny.
“He has probably been scapegoated a bit. He is a really good friend of mine, a great guy and a really hard working professional.
“He has been one of England’s best defenders over recent times and in England’s history.
“It is part of football, you are scrutinised. Knowing him, he will just want to work hard and improve. We are fully behind him as a national team.”
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