Thomas Tuchel, the manager of Bayern Munich, wants his team to embrace their inner child again at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Many of the players would have grown up dreaming of facing Real Madrid in a Champions League semifinal.
Should Bayern hope to advance to the Wembley final after last week’s 2-2 draw in Germany, they will need to defeat Real in their home stadium.
Read Also:Ancelotti Warns Madrid Players Not To Underestimate Bayern
The six-time winners of the European Cup have just one trophy remaining this season after Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s 11-year Bundesliga rule last month by winning the league title.
On Tuesday, Tuchel spoke with his players for a few minutes in the empty Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
He reportedly advised them to find further motivation within.
“It is important to connect with your own inner child.
“When we were little we played these games in the garden.
“So now we are here and that’s our chance to make it true,” he told a press conference in Madrid.
“I think both teams have to endure defending and suffering when their opponents have the ball.
“It is extremely difficult to steal the ball from Real Madrid.
“Both teams are very, very strong in the transition game.
“It gets very complex. You need luck and precision. Then everything is possible at this stage.”
In the first leg, Bayern were completely outclassed by a polished Real, with the German team dominating for extended stretches without really taking the opposition to task.
The match was tied at one point, with goals from Leroy Sane and Harry Kane, as well as two from Real’s Vinicius Jr., leaving Real as the favourites to move on to the second leg in Spain.
Real Madrid, the record 14-time champions, have a certain aura in the Champions League, but Tuchel insisted his team is unafraid of their past.
“Bayern are also one of the most successful and dominant clubs in the world and we have an obligation to do our best when we step on the pitch tomorrow,” he said.
“You don’t talk about myths, that would make it harder for us.
“It is already one of the toughest stadiums to win but not impossible. We are not here to enjoy the moment.”
Bayern made it to the final four of the Champions League for the first time since winning the tournament in 2020, while Madrid last won the trophy in 2022 after an incredible run of home comeback victories to get to the championship game.
Real Madrid, who won a record-tying 36th La Liga championship on Saturday, is aiming to capture their sixth Champions League trophy in ten years.
But the Bavarians’ domestic record has been dismal, and Tuchel will leave at the end of the current campaign.
“Real Madrid are an amazing team but we need to be confident in ourselves and help each other, we can’t be stuck or afraid.
“We need to make something positive from the pressure,” Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.
“Against a team like Real Madrid, it’s the little things that matter. Nobody wants to make a mistake because both teams have very good offensive power.”