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Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel urged his players to retain a positive mindset ahead of a crucial run of fixtures in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Following a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, Bayern travel to face the same opponents in the league on Saturday before going up against Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final next Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Tuchel repeatedly mentioned a need to be “positive” despite the cup setback.
“We need to continue with a positive approach, we can be angry but still be positive,” he said, later adding: “We need a reaction, but we would have needed one even if we won.
“People don’t want to hear it but there were positive things in [the Freiburg] game… Things can happen where the result is probably not right after a game like this but we have to accept it.
“We are lacking a bit of precision in the last pass, a bit of trust, cohesion, creativity. We need form and that will only come back if we remain positive, even though we were unhappy with the result.”
On the reaction of his players following the loss to a 95th-minute Lucas Holer penalty at the Allianz Arena, Tuchel added: “They are very critical of themselves. I was telling them the same thing I have told you, that we just have to accept it, that the coach is talking about positive things about the game even though no-one wants to talk about it.
“We can have a bad mood for a couple of days but that doesn’t help anyone, you need a positive mindset to move forward.”
Tuchel confirmed the Freiburg game will come too early for injured pair Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mathys Tel, while Dayot Upamecano misses out through suspension.
When asked who can play as the striker in Choupo-Moting’s absence, he said: “Mathys Tel can play as a nine, that was his answer when I asked him his position, but he is injured.
“Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry can play there as well, they will be my players of choice.”
The former Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea boss was not keen to look beyond Saturday to Tuesday’s trip to Manchester, but he acknowledged he cannot use Freiburg as preparation given the difference in approach.
“I don’t believe that we can practice the things we need against Man City, Freiburg play a completely different way,” he said.
