Tuchel: Neuer and Sané can play against Arsenal

In the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, Bayern Munich will host Arsenal at home. Prior to the match, Bayern head coach Tuchel attended a press conference.

Regarding the team lineup: "Neuer and Sané can play tomorrow. Considering Gnabry and Coman's situation, Sané needs to hold on for as long as possible and grit his teeth."

On tomorrow's match: "We need to give it our all, we need passion and tactical discipline like in the first leg. We really want to win this match. We hope to have the same atmosphere as in the first leg. Especially with our injuries, it's very important for every fan to come and support us. We need extra motivation to beat Arsenal."

Will Pavlovic start tomorrow? "Pavlovic hasn't found any rhythm since the game against Darmstadt, you can see that I'm inclined to include him in the squad. But for now, we have no reason to withdraw the two defensive midfielders from the first leg. We hope to get him back into the team, Pavlovic's return would be a good thing, as the game could go beyond 120 minutes."

On who will start at left-back: "We are considering the left-back position. We still have a day to prepare. This is beneficial for us. Then I will also talk to Mazlavic, who has had to endure recently. We will make the final decision tonight."

Comparing Bayern's Champions League experience with Arsenal's: "When you look at our experience in Champions League matches, we have some advantages. But to turn it into a key advantage, you need top performances. Reaching the semi-finals is not an easy task, and in this exciting match, we have the opportunity to take the next step. We are ready for this game. If experience can give us an extra 5% boost, we will be happy. This game will be very intense."

Tuchel analyzed Arsenal after watching their match against Aston Villa: "I think Saka and Edergaard always initiate attacks on the right side, at least at the start of the attack. They try to play combinations there to either pass or switch sides. We didn't learn anything new from Sunday's league match. Everything is very flexible, transitions are very smooth. Most of the time, everything happens naturally. They're not a team committed to maintaining the same formation."

"On the first leg, we played very focused. Their style of play is very attractive. Arsenal played at the highest level. We also did well in the first leg, but now it's just halftime. We need to give it our all, hoping that the home game will be a decisive factor."

On the pressure of tomorrow's match: "It's wrong to say that we must advance, this overlooks the fact that we're up against Arsenal. It's a fifty-fifty game. We want to reach the semi-finals again after a long time, and then go all the way. Of course, winning the UEFA Champions League is sweet for every club. Of course, we haven't performed well in the league and cup, but we don't need those to motivate ourselves. We must push ourselves to the limit, and we need every fan ready to fight with us. We feel ready, there's one more training session left, and tomorrow we'll give it our all."

On De Ligt going from being the fourth-choice center-back to an undisputed starter: "De Ligt's appearance sequence has never been number 4. It always depends on the timing, we've had four healthy center-backs for a while now. We've always had confidence in him, just like we do now with Kim Min-jae and Upamecano. Tomorrow we need De Ligt to be at his best."

If Bayern win tomorrow, it will help the Bundesliga secure 5 Champions League spots instead of the Premier League getting 5: "Of course, we want to help the Bundesliga secure the fifth Champions League spot. We have a chance to advance, it will be very difficult. The Premier League is the toughest league in the world, and we want to be competitive for the Champions League title. Tomorrow we'll face one of the strongest teams in the Premier League. We have to prove ourselves, and we're looking forward to the match. It's not Bundesliga versus Premier League, it's Bayern versus Arsenal. We will do everything to win the game."