On the eve of one of the great European derbies between two historic teams of the competition, an unexpected protagonist appears on the scene. Newcomer Thomas Tuchel, one of Real Madrid 's bête noires in Europe, has a long history against Los Blancos.
The worst recent episodes in Europe for Real Madrid have involved teams coached by the German. Despite having achieved two semi-final appearances in the last two Champions League editions against the blues, the madridistas will never forget that 20/21 semi-final in which Chelsea advanced to the final with a 3-1 aggregate win.
Real Madrid have faced Tuchel with three different teams : Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. Even that everything indicates that one of his toughest rivals will be from the hand of this Bayern Munich. The German's record against Los Blancos is one of the best in Europe, with three wins, four draws and three defeats.
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Tuchel's record against Real Madrid
- As Borussia Dortmund coach:
- UCL group stage 16/17 : 2-2 draw in Dortmund.
- UCL group stage 16/17: 2-2 draw in Madrid.
- As Paris Saint-Germain coach:
- UCL group stage 19/20 : 3-0 win for PSG in Paris.
- Group stage UCL 19/20 : 2-2 draw in Madrid.
PSG 3-0 Real Madrid / Source : UCL
- As Chelsea coach:
- UCL semifinals 20/21 : 1-1 draw in Madrid.
- UCL Semifinals 20/21 : 2-0 Chelsea win in London (Chelsea advanced).
- UCL quarter-finals 21/22 : 1-3 Chelsea defeat in London
- Quarter-finals UCL 21/22 : 2-3 Chelsea win in Madrid ( Real Madrid advanced)
- Quarter-finals UCL 22/23 : 2-0 Chelsea defeat in Madrid
- Quarter-finals UCL 22/23 : 0-2 Chelsea defeat in London ( Real Madrid advanced)
This data shows that despite having been eliminated two years in a row by Los Blancos, the Teuton still has a good record against the king of Europe. It was only in his seventh Champions League game that he suffered his first defeat against Real Madrid.
Named FIFA Coach of the Year in 2021 after winning the European Cup against Manchester City, the 50-year-old will once again face Real Madrid in the European semi-finals with a thirst for revenge.
Bayern Munich may not be having their best season but they are certainly a very dangerous opponent to watch out for. With a striker like Harry Kane who is in the best moment of his career (55 goals + assists in 42 games), a very balanced and solid squad and with a coach who already knows what it is like to eliminate Real Madrid, the tie is going to be a war.
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Tüchel's tactical style
Reviewing the teams that the German coach has played for, it can be seen how he has always been able to adapt to the different situations demanded by his players and clubs. Versatility is very present in his teams and this can be seen in how he has never had a predetermined scheme.
At Borussia Dortmund he varied between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, changing the previous transitions game and giving a lot of importance to ball control in order to dominate from that facet of the game. To this was added a strong pressure in the attacking zone after losing possession, forcing the opponents to stay in their own half.
At Paris Saint-Germain, Unai Emery 's 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 were again maintained. Something that is characteristic of most of the Teutonic coach's teams is the importance of his full-backs and it is necessary for them to have a lot of run and help the wingers to stay in a position closer to the center forward.
During his years in Paris he started to experiment with the three central midfielders scheme with two wingers and two more fixed defensive midfielders, however this system was only used in Ligue 1. His safe system would remain the classic 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 and it gave him a great result as he won PSG's first and only final to date in the UCL .
During his time at Chelsea, Tüchel based his style of play on a 3-4-2-1. With the Blues, the wingers on the flanks and the two midfielders accompanying the center forward were once again decisive, offering many variations in attack. With the London team he found a successful scheme and led him to win the UCL in the 20/21 season.
This season with Bayern Munich he is returning to a 4-2-3-1 formation that helps to give the team that solidity provided by the two pivots such as Goretzka, Laimer or Kimmich. Due to Kimmich's great versatility we are seeing how the Bavarians' number '6' is occupying the right-back position and considering the threat of Vinicius Jr, it won't be a surprise to see him in that position.
When it comes to attacking, there is no advanced technique and from the control of possession and the great offensive capabilities of its stars, Bayern Munich is capable of doing a lot of damage between the lines and on the wings with offensive specialists such as Sané or Alphonso Davies.
There is no doubt that Tüchel's Bayern will not make any "experiments" against Real Madrid. The scheme used will probably be a 4-2-3-1 with the following players, with some doubts about Guerreiro, Laimer or De Ligt starting in place of Gnabry, Pavlovic and Kim Min-Jae respectively:
With the certainty that it will be a real match but with the doubt of knowing if Thomas Tüchel will be able to control Real Madrid again and give a team immersed in such a negative season a very important Champions League final. If there is someone capable of doing it, it is undoubtedly Tüchel, he has experience and with the help of Musiala, Kane or Sané, Real Madrid must have respect for this European giant.
