In the aftermath of Bayern Munich’s triumph over Arsenal in the Champions League, Thomas Tuchel has commended Konrad Laimer for his exceptional performance and detailed how he managed to subdue Martin Odegaard’s influence on the game.
Advancing to the semi-finals, where they will face Real Madrid, Bayern clinched a narrow 1-0 win (3-2 on aggregate) at the Allianz Arena on a pivotal Wednesday night.
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The match began tentatively, but Bayern intensified their efforts in the second half, with Leon Goretzka striking the woodwork. This was followed by Joshua Kimmich’s unchallenged header in the penalty area, propelling Bayern into the semi-finals.
Bayern dominated the second half with 11 attempts on goal, in stark contrast to Arsenal’s mere two, neither hitting the mark, allowing goalkeeper Manuel Neuer a relatively undisturbed night.
A key factor in Arsenal’s subdued performance was Odegaard’s unusually quiet presence on the field, as he was persistently marked by Laimer.
Tuchel has since acknowledged Laimer’s targeted role in neutralizing Arsenal’s captain, and also gave kudos to Noussair Mazraoui for effectively containing Bukayo Saka, despite playing on an unfamiliar side of the pitch.
Asked what he was most proud of from the game, Tuchel said: ‘The team performance, and I’m very proud of Konni [Laimer] too.
‘Of course we defended against them in the block, but Konni really stuck to Odegaard, played half a man-marker role.
‘And Nous [Mazraoui] too, who played on the left for the first time. Everyone worked very, very hard.’
Kimmich, who scored the decisive goal and was named man of the match, expressed his belief that Bayern Munich’s performance merited the victory and rightfully earned them a spot in the next stage of the competition.
‘In general, the first half was a bit nervous for both teams,’ explained the German, who had an excellent game at right-back.
‘Nobody wanted to take the final risk. You could tell that Arsenal wanted to control the game, but they were still afraid of our counter-attacks.
‘We came out very well in the second half and had a very good chance from Leon. We continued to have dangerous attacks after that.
‘Even after taking the 1-0 lead, I would say we definitely did better in the second half, played better, played more determinedly and we deserved to progress.’
Arsenal’s recent form has seen them go without a victory in their past three games, finding it challenging to break down mid-block defensive setups. A significant enhancement in their performance will be essential as they prepare to face Wolves at Molineux Stadium this coming Saturday in the Premier League.
