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Thomas Tuchel said his Bayern Munich players must “connect with their inner child” if they’re to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday to advance to the Champions League final.
Bayern were the better side in last week’s semifinal first leg but were held to a 2-2 draw by Madrid, who haven’t lost at home in the competition since 2018.
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The Bundesliga giants trained in Munich on Tuesday morning before flying to Madrid, where Tuchel gave his players a team talk in the centre circle on the Bernabeu pitch.
“It wasn’t anything special, I just wanted to say something,” Tuchel told a news conference on Tuesday. “We’ve had two tactical meetings, two training sessions. This talk was about how we should enjoy a day like today, and this opponent.
“I was saying that on an evening like this, you should connect with your inner child, and realise that we all dreamed as kids of being part of games like this. We can be proud of being here, but that won’t stop us from doing everything to take another step towards Wembley.”
Tuchel said his team wouldn’t be daunted by Madrid’s unmatched Champions League history, with the Spanish side having won 14 European Cups, five of them in the last decade.
“We don’t talk about the myth,” Tuchel said. “[The Bernabeu] is one of the most difficult stadiums to win in, but it’s not impossible. We had a very good first leg, we were better than them but unfortunately we didn’t win. Given that they’re at home, it’s maybe a 51% advantage for Real Madrid.
“They’re obviously one of the biggest clubs in the world. But we’re also a big club in Europe. That’s why it’s a great matchup.”
Bayern captain Manuel Neuer has starred at the Bernabeu before, winning a penalty shootout at the stadium in the 2012 Champions League semifinals.
“I know the Bernabeu,” Neuer said. “This stadium is special, historic. There aren’t many stadiums in Europe where it’s better to play… When it’s so emotional in a stadium like this, you need to stay within yourself. You need self confidence, you need to trust in yourself. You can’t be intimidated, you need to use that energy and pressure and turn it into something positive.”
Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham had a subdued first leg and was substituted in the 75th minute, but Neuer said the England star was “obviously” a Ballon d’Or contender after his debut season in Spain.
“Of course, if you’re involved until the end in every competition, in the Champions League, when you won LaLiga, obviously you’re a candidate for the Ballon d’Or,” Neuer said. “It also depends on what England do in the Euros this summer. We saw [Bellingham’s] ability in the Bundesliga [with Borussia Dortmund].
“He plays in a more attacking position here. Nobody expected him to score so many goals from the start, after [Karim] Benzema [left], having someone with that offensive power is so important.”