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.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
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.
