Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has been promised a new striker for next season after president Herbert Hainer accepted the team lacks a ruthless goalscorer.

A 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Wednesday saw Bayern exit the Champions League 4-1 on aggregate at the quarter-final stage.

They are in danger of being left behind as the likes of big-spending City make a concerted effort to push for European dominance.

Although Bayern saw off another wealthy pretender to the Champions League crown in the previous round, by sinking the hopes of Paris Saint-Germain, there have been obvious shortcomings in the German giants' ranks this season.

This might be largely because they sold Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona last July and did not recruit a player of the same mould and calibre to replace the Polish striker.

Lewandowski hit 50 goals for Bayern last season, and although the team have not been goal-shy, they have been without a top-class predator.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has shown willing, netting 17 in 29 games in the central role, but with the best will he has been a stop-gap option.

"We're missing the goalscorer who can clean things up. That's what we'll definitely need in the future," said Hainer, quoted widely on Thursday in the German media.

Bayern's shot conversion rate has dipped slightly season on season, from 15.34 per cent last term to 15.02 per cent this time around.

Their 'big chance' conversion has tumbled from 43.54 per cent to 40.74 per cent, having been as high as 47.65 per cent in the 2020-21 campaign.

Last season saw Lewandowski put away 25.13 per of his chances, and 53.16 per of his big chances.

Hainer said it was "obvious" Bayern were not scoring often enough, but he indicated it would not be easy to find a player to make the difference.

Bayern have been linked with Tottenham's Harry Kane and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, but getting either man would involve a major financial outlay, and potentially a wrestle with other clubs.

"If you could name the one that hits the spot immediately, we would buy him immediately," Hainer said. "But you can assume that we will strengthen the team in such a way that we can again have a say in the Champions League title. Our goal is very clear to be at the forefront in Europe."

He said Bayern were "very, very well positioned" to be able to afford such a top-class player, as recently appointed coach Tuchel looks to put together a winning side.

Questions are being asked about the future of Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn, with reports in Germany claiming his position could be in some doubt.

If Kahn stays, he would likely have a key say in whom Bayern target as their next number nine.

The former Germany goalkeeper, quoted by Sport 1, said Bayern would have their work cut out to find a striker of Lewandowski's redoubtable prowess.

"It is also a question of price," Kahn said. "How many nines at the level of Robert Lewandowski are there in Europe? There aren't many. And if so, then it is in price regions that are extremely high."

Erling Haaland doesn't often miss penalties.

Erling Haaland doesn't often hit straight at the goalkeeper when one-on-one.

And Erling Haaland doesn't pass up a third invitation to score.

Having sliced over the crossbar from 12 yards in the first half of Manchester City's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich, and then shot straight at Yann Sommer in the 55th minute, Haaland might have been forgiven for thinking it was not going to be his night on Wednesday.

Yet even when Haaland does, indeed, miss, he still must score. It's as predictable as day turning to night. Death, taxes and Haaland scoring goals. 

It's just what he does, and he did it again – for a 48th time this season – 57 minutes into a thrilling game at Allianz Arena to fully ensure City would not let their 3-0 aggregate lead from the first leg slip.

For much of the first half, Thomas Tuchel's Bayern had run City's defence ragged. Leroy Sane seemed like a man possessed against his former club, but could not find the finishing touch.

Previous incarnations of Pep Guardiola's team might not have had the physicality up top to exploit such a stretched game, but they do now.

Haaland enjoyed, and won, a personal tussle with Dayot Upamecano all game. The Norway international was fist pumping when, in the 18th minute – just after Sane had fired wide at the other end – referee Clement Turpin was brandishing a red card Upamecano's way, with Bayern's centre-back having dragged City's number nine to the ground just outside the box.

A delayed offside flag spared Upamecano, though his luck ran out when, 10 minutes before half-time, Ilkay Gundogan's shot struck his outstretched arm.

Yet again, Upamecano's blushes were spared. Haaland skied his spot-kick, missing a penalty for the first time in his last 16 attempts in all club competitions, since doing so for Borussia Dortmund against Union Berlin in April 2021.

Bayern went into half-time with the scores level, down but not out. They had, in fairness, been the better side; 10 shots to City's four and an open play xG of 0.91 to their visitors' 0.09.

The end-to-end, thrill-a-minute football continued after the break. Kingsley Coman, teed up by Sane, tested Ederson, before the magnificent Jack Grealish slipped in Haaland at the end of a rapid City counter. Sommer, though, was up to the task.

Ederson could only watch as Coman flashed a low cross-shot across the face of goal soon after, but Bayern could only play with fire for so long.

Fifteen seconds later, City were celebrating. Kevin De Bruyne had released Haaland who, after sitting Upamecano down on the turf, slammed home. About time.

Haaland has scored 13 Champions League knockout-stage goals in only 10 such appearances. It was his 12th goal in the competition for City, matching the single-season record for a player of an English cub, level with Ruud van Nistelrooy in the 2002-03 campaign. He is averaging a goal every 66 minutes across all competitions.

Bayern benefitted from a soft handball decision of their own when Sadio Mane's effort deflected up and hit Manuel Akanji's arm. Joshua Kimmich lashed his penalty down the middle, but it was a mere consolation in the grand scheme of a tie that finished 4-1 to City on aggregate.

A Mane miss from close range and Tuchel receiving his marching orders to the stand for dissent capped off the Bavarians' Champions League exit.

Tuchel was brought in to ensure domestic success and progress in Europe. Six games into his tenure, Bayern lead the Bundesliga only on goal difference, while it is City who will face holders Real Madrid in the last four.

That's a rematch of last season's semi-finals, when City dominated in the first leg only to capitulate late on in the second. 

Having been denied by Tuchel in Porto two years ago, City – the third English team to have qualified for the Champions League semi-finals in three successive seasons – have put one ghost to rest already. Now, it's time for another, and with Haaland on board and firing, it could just be their time.

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City face a stiff test of character against a Bayern Munich side whose defiance he says is "in their skin".

Although City lead 3-0 from the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, Guardiola claims his side will on Wednesday be facing a Bayern team who firmly believe they can turn the tie around.

City have looked to have ties wrapped up before and then imploded, most recently in last season's semi-finals when they led Real Madrid 5-3 on aggregate as stoppage time approached in the second leg, only to still be knocked out.

Asked whether he was more confident than before in his group of players getting the job done, Guardiola said on Tuesday: "I would like to say yes, but I don't know. Every game is completely different.

"I didn't say to the team to be careful with Bayern Munich, how difficult they are. They are not relaxed because they felt it, they know it, how good the [Bayern] team is.

"The opponent has many, many weapons, and that's why you have to be yourself. What do you have to do to achieve it? Be ourselves as much as possible."

Guardiola said City were "here for business" and confirmed Phil Foden would be a substitute on his return from appendicitis.

The Catalan coach is on the brink of personal history, being one away from reaching 100 wins in the Champions League, a feat only previously achieved by Carlo Ancelotti (105) and Alex Ferguson (102).

Should be complete that century on Wednesday, it would have come in just 158 games, with Ancelotti having needed 180 games and Ferguson 184.

Guardiola said City had not come to Munich to sit on their lead, but as and when the circumstances demand it, they will dig in defensively.

"I don't understand the situation of coming here just to defend something," said Guardiola, who coached Bayern from 2013 to 2016. "We come here to play one football game. If you think about just the result and what you have to do, or what we have done in the past, it would be a big mistake for us.

"We are going to defend, for sure. It happened in Manchester. For part of the game, they were better, and we had to defend, and we're going to defend tomorrow.

"For us, it's an opportunity. You see the [Bayern] trophy cabinet and how many times they have played this type of game in their incredible history, it is a lot.

"We are a few. We're going to try to impose our game. We come here knowing the quality they have, adapt quick to maybe some new formation of the opponent, and do our game.

"We talk about the game we have to play and not talk about the result we had one week ago. It's what you have to do in the game and focus in every single action to do what you have to do to get the result as best as possible to reach the semi-final."

Guardiola suspects Thomas Tuchel and Bayern will be saying much the same thing.

"I've been here at Bayern Munich and know the mentality of this club," Guardiola said. "It's everywhere: it's in [the club's HQ at] Sabener Strasse, it's in their skin.

"I know they believe they can do it, and we believe, too."

Guardiola expects Bayern's Thomas Muller to start, having only been a substitute in the first leg.

Should that be the case, City captain Ilkay Gundogan will be among those keeping a close eye on the man who can make Bayern tick, whom he knows well from their time together in Germany's midfield.

Gundogan's City future remains in the balance, with his contract expiring at the end of June, and the 32-year-old could offer no guidance on whether he will be staying in Manchester.

"There are talks. Obviously there are talks in the background. That's quite normal with just a couple of months left," Gundogan said. "Before going too much into details, there is nothing decided yet, not from my side and not from the club's side."

The skipper was delighted to hear Guardiola wants him to stay, saying: "I appreciate it a lot. We've been together seven years, and it's been amazing. We've won a lot together and to hear things like that brings me joy, brings me a smile and makes me appreciate what I've done in the seven years."

City have only lost one of their last 20 matches against German teams in the Champions League (W16 D3), losing away to RB Leipzig in the 2021-22 group stage.

They are unbeaten in their nine games against German sides in the knockout stages of the competition (W8 D1), although Bayern have only lost both legs of a Champions League knockout tie twice before, and both times it came against Real Madrid – in the 2013-14 semi-finals and the 2016-17 quarter-finals.

Their heaviest aggregate defeat was in the first of those ties, losing 5-0 against the Spanish side when Guardiola was Bayern head coach.

Marcel Sabitzer feels at home in the Premier League and is keen to extend his Manchester United stay beyond the end of the season.

Sabitzer joined United on loan from Bayern Munich in January after the Red Devils lost fellow midfielder Christian Eriksen to an ankle injury.

While Eriksen returned last week after spending over two months on the sidelines, Sabitzer has played an important role for the Red Devils, making 13 appearances since his arrival and featuring in February's EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United.

Having scored his first goal for the club in last month's FA Cup quarter-final victory against Fulham, Sabitzer grabbed two more in Thursday's 2-2 Europa League draw with Sevilla.

Though Sabitzer's deal does not contain an option for United to make his move permanent, the Austria international would be open to extending his stay.

"I didn't have to think for 10 seconds after United called," Sabitzer said in an interview with German publication Bild. "I said straight away, if the time works, we'll do it!

"This is initially a project until the summer, then we'll see. Until then, I want to give everything here. It's a loan deal with no options. The situation will be assessed in the summer.

"But I can say for myself, I have found my place here. I know the Premier League now and I can say there is nothing better, more intense or tougher.

"Every game is a fight, everything goes faster. This is the best league in the world. Once you have played here, you know it's incomparable.

"Of course my thoughts on United – especially looking at how things are going and the confidence I get from Erik ten Hag – are very positive. But I don't have to decide it alone."

Sadio Mane has been suspended and fined by Bayern Munich after he allegedly punched team-mate Leroy Sane.

The former Liverpool forward was seen arguing with Sane during Bayern's 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat at Manchester City on Tuesday, with reports suggesting the former struck the latter after the game and cut the Germany winger's lip.

The pair were reported to have apologised in front of their team-mates at training on Thursday, but Bayern confirmed that Mane will not be in the squad for the home clash with Hoffenheim on Saturday.

A statement from the Bundesliga champions on Thursday said that Mane will not be involved this weekend due to "misconduct" following the loss at the Etihad Stadium and he also be hit in the pocket.

Mane has 11 goals and five assists in 32 appearances this season, while Sane has 13 goals and seven assists from 36 outings.

Marcus Thuram will leave Borussia Monchengladbach as a free agent at the end of the season after the Bundesliga club finally gave up hope of keeping the France forward.

The 25-year-old is enjoying his most fruitful goalscoring campaign and has been linked with clubs including Inter, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

In 28 games, he has managed 16 goals and five assists, already beating his haul of 14 goals from the 2019-20 campaign.

Thuram, who can play as a striker and as a left winger, is the son of former France defender Lilian Thuram.

Gladbach sporting director Roland Virkus said it was with regret that the club would part company with former Guingamp after four years together.

Algerian defender Ramy Bensebaini will also leave on a free transfer, and it has been reported he will join Borussia Dortmund.

Virkus said: "We were in an open discussion with both players and knew their current position. It is a shame that they won't extend their current contracts, which expire in the summer, and we also understand that our fans are disappointed that both aren't staying.

"In the past years, it has always been part of our approach to pick up talented players, develop them further, and at a certain point in time also allow them to leave, because we can't keep them forever.

"In an ideal world, we would have picked up an attractive transfer fee. It is obviously not good that now this is not the case."

In an interview on Gladbach's official website, Virkus described Thuram and Bensebaini as "players that can make the difference".

"Both have helped us from a sporting side in the past few years and are still doing that now," he added, "so despite all our justified disappointment, they have still earned a stylish goodbye."

The news of the twin departures followed Wednesday's announcement that captain Lars Stindl would also be leaving Gladbach after an eight-year stint.

Virkus said: "We were also in an open and fair discussion with Lars. He explained his personal decision in terms of the responsibility he has to his family.

"In the end, that also speaks to Lars Stindl as a person. He has helped shaped the club over eight years, was the face of Borussia, a goal threat, a hard-worker for the team and a brilliant captain. He is now 34 years old though, and your priorities change, he is going back home and you have to respect that."

Pep Guardiola has made no secret of his love of golf and basketball, so it was perhaps no surprise he made comparisons to all-time greats from both sports when asked about his desire to win the Champions League.

Guardiola will face former club Bayern Munich when his Manchester City side host the Bundesliga champions in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Since losing in the last 16 in his first season in charge in 2016-17, City have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for six successive seasons.

Yet the trophy continues to elude them, City going closest in the 2021 final when they lost 1-0 to a Chelsea team led by Thomas Tuchel, who was last month appointed by Bayern.

Asked in his pre-match press conference how much he wants to win the Champions League, Guardiola replied: "A lot."

Expanding on his initially brief reply, Guardiola – who spent his Sunday watching Bayern's game with Freiburg and taking in compatriot Jon Rahm's Masters triumph – pointed to the careers of Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan as examples of the difficulty of elite sport that has prevented City from claiming European football's top prize.

"We want to try like we tried all the time, but that doesn't mean we're going to win," he added 

"Yesterday they played The Masters. Jack Nicklaus, how many Masters or how many great majors he played in his career, in the 30, 40 years as a golfer... 30 years for four majors, how many, 120 or 130? How many won? Eighteen, wow. Eighteen out of 130, he lost more than he won.

"That is sport. In football, in golf, in basketball. Michael Jordan, the best athlete for me, won six NBA titles. How many years did he play? Sixteen. He lost more than won.

"This game, all games, they are so difficult. It's important to be here and compete well, do our best knowing that tomorrow at nine o'clock we have to be perfect to try to get a good result to go to Germany [for the second leg].

"It's no more than that; I live my profession in that way, and after that, I lose, I lose. What's important is we are still there. My biggest compliment we can do as an organisation, as a team, is still we are there."

City are unbeaten in their last 12 matches and have scored 21 goals in their previous four; however, Guardiola knows that form counts for nothing over the course of a two-legged tie with Bayern.

"In this competition, it's not about the form you are in in the Premier League or FA Cup," he said. "It's about how you perform in these 95 minutes. It doesn't count what you did three days ago.

"In this competition, you have to be perfect. The question is tomorrow night, be ready."

Just eight teams remain in the Champions League, and there is every chance one of Tuesday's quarter-finals could yield the eventual winners.

Manchester City and Bayern Munich tussle in arguably the tie of the round, a contest that has seen the intrigue multiply following the latter's dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann and hiring of Thomas Tuchel.

Of course, Tuchel has won this competition before and boasts plenty of quality in his squad, but City probably go into the tie as favourites because of their greater stability and the 'Erling Haaland factor'.

Tuesday's other game, which takes place on the other side of the draw, pits Benfica and Inter against each other, with both sides surely fancying their chances of a shock run to the final given they will come up against either Milan or Napoli in the semi-finals.

But without any further ado, Stats Perform looks at the pick of the pre-match Opta facts for Tuesday's first legs.

Manchester City v Bayern Munich: Haaland out to finally beat Die Roten

There will certainly be a degree of familiarity surrounding this duel between two giants of the European game.

It will be the seventh meeting between City and Bayern in the Champions League, with both sides alternating victories across the previous six (three each) fixtures.

On top of that, City boss Pep Guardiola is of course a former Bayern head coach, with the Premier League side's only loss in their past three home games against Die Roten coming when he was in charge at Allianz Arena (October 2013).

Guardiola will also be going up against Tuchel once again. He may not publicly admit it, but revenge is surely a target.

Tuchel was in charge of Chelsea when City lost their only Champions League final, and the German has won two of the three matches the two coaches have contested in cup competitions. Guardiola's only victory came via a penalty shoot-out in the 2016 DFB-Pokal final.

Still, Guardiola boasts a tremendous record at this stage of the competition.

He has won 54 per cent of his 72 Champions League knockout games, the best win rate of all managers with at least 30 matches under their belt in such ties. Additionally, Guardiola is the only one of these coaches to have won more than half of these games.

Erling Haaland will also be tussling with some familiar foes.

The Norwegian striker has a solid record against Bayern on an individual level, scoring five times in seven games against them for Dortmund, but he was on the losing side each time.

He will be keen to break that duck.

Benfica v Inter: Eagles close to 33-year high

For some, Benfica might stand out as being almost out of place at this stage of the competition, but it is the second season in a row they have reached the quarter-finals.

Similarly, while one may associate Inter more closely with deep runs into the Champions League, their six quarter-finals this century is only one more than Benfica.

The Portuguese side will not come into this tie intimidated by their opponents either.

Benfica have already beaten Juventus home and away in the competition this term, overcoming something of a psychological barrier that had seen them win only two of their previous 11 games against Serie A sides in Europe's top-tier competition.

Granted, Inter have dealt with Portuguese opposition this season as well, knocking Porto out in the previous round with a slender 1-0 aggregate win. But there was more than a hint of fortune about that success, with the Primeira Liga side's expected goals (xG) significantly higher than Inter's (3-5 to 2.1).

Nevertheless, Benfica need only to look at their own form to inspire confidence. Victory on Tuesday will see them record five successive European Cup/Champions League wins for the first time since a run of six en route to the 1990 final.

There are also reasons for optimism in how the two teams play.

The average starting distance of Inter's sequences of play in the Champions League this term is 38.2 metres from their own goal, with Simone Inzaghi's side recovering possession the furthest away from the opposition goal – on average – of any side involved in this season's quarter-finals.

That could play into Benfica's hands given they have attempted more shots following high turnovers (within 40m of the opposition goal) than any other side in the competition this season (18), and their five goals from such situations is a joint-high with Napoli.

Inter have ridden their luck already this season – Benfica will hope to get the rub of the green at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday to improve their chances of reaching the semi-finals for the first time in 33 years.

Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel urged his players to retain a positive mindset ahead of a crucial run of fixtures in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Following a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, Bayern travel to face the same opponents in the league on Saturday before going up against Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final next Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Tuchel repeatedly mentioned a need to be "positive" despite the cup setback.

"We need to continue with a positive approach, we can be angry but still be positive," he said, later adding: "We need a reaction, but we would have needed one even if we won.

"People don't want to hear it but there were positive things in [the Freiburg] game... Things can happen where the result is probably not right after a game like this but we have to accept it.

"We are lacking a bit of precision in the last pass, a bit of trust, cohesion, creativity. We need form and that will only come back if we remain positive, even though we were unhappy with the result."

On the reaction of his players following the loss to a 95th-minute Lucas Holer penalty at the Allianz Arena, Tuchel added: "They are very critical of themselves. I was telling them the same thing I have told you, that we just have to accept it, that the coach is talking about positive things about the game even though no-one wants to talk about it.

"We can have a bad mood for a couple of days but that doesn't help anyone, you need a positive mindset to move forward."

Tuchel confirmed the Freiburg game will come too early for injured pair Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mathys Tel, while Dayot Upamecano misses out through suspension.

When asked who can play as the striker in Choupo-Moting's absence, he said: "Mathys Tel can play as a nine, that was his answer when I asked him his position, but he is injured.

"Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry can play there as well, they will be my players of choice."

The former Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea boss was not keen to look beyond Saturday to Tuesday's trip to Manchester, but he acknowledged he cannot use Freiburg as preparation given the difference in approach.

"I don't believe that we can practice the things we need against Man City, Freiburg play a completely different way," he said.

Thomas Tuchel feels Chelsea are a vastly different club now to the one where he loved to work, after he was asked if he could recommend the job to Julian Nagelsmann.

Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on Sunday, with the Blues 11th in the Premier League following a 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.

Potter replaced Tuchel in September, with the latter having been dismissed by co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali less than 18 months on from leading Chelsea to Champions League glory.

Whether Tuchel would be on speaking terms with Nagelsmann after replacing his compatriot at Bayern in March was not an issue that was raised when the former Paris Saint-Germain coach was asked by reporters if he would tell his predecessor, who is one of the favourites to succeed Potter, to take the Chelsea job.

"He's not going to ask me! He doesn't need my advice, that won't happen," Tuchel said in a press conference ahead of Bayern's DFB-Pokal meeting with Freiburg.

"I saw the news, in the end it was pretty tough timing, as it was right after I took over here and now the next coaching position is vacant at Chelsea.

"I needed quite a bit of time to distance myself from Chelsea, because I really liked to work there and there were friendships for life that I managed to build.

"It was a very intense time but the club changed massively. That helped me to find some distance. That's why this didn't bring out huge emotions in me.

"That's why I don't have to give any advice, because the club is different to the one I worked for."

Tuchel's first game in charge of Bayern could hardly have gone better, with the Bundesliga champions beating his former side Borussia Dortmund 4-2 to move top of the table.

Thomas Muller scored twice after Gregor Kobel's calamitous own goal had put Bayern ahead, with Kingsley Coman making it 4-0 before Emre Can and Donyell Malen grabbing consolations for Dortmund.

Sadio Mane came on as a second-half substitute as he continues his recovery from injury, though he only managed 12 touches and did not get a shot off.

Tuchel, though, is convinced Mane will return to his best form.

"I know him personally from England," Tuchel said of Mane. "He's one of the top players, he's scored in double digits, felt like 20 goals every year for Liverpool in the toughest league in the world.

"He plays at an extraordinary level, won all the trophies and titles for Liverpool. His importance is clear.

"Even with his age and experience, a change of clubs is still a change, it can lead to needing a bit of time to bed in a bit, to feel at home 1,000 per cent.

"Small things, like getting to the stadium, that were so easy in the past, have to be found out, and this takes time. Then it's done and dusted but then an injury occurs, and he could lose a bit of trust and form.

"I don't doubt his qualities, the things he can bring to us. It's about trust, a bit of patience in order to get back to the flow. A goal helps, no matter how, to get his joy back. We're working on it.

"With the strikers, those situations will occur all the time when they lose a bit of rhythm due to an injury."

Thomas Tuchel's first game as Bayern Munich coach may have been an impressive 4-2 victory over rivals Borussia Dortmund, but he knows there is work to do.

Tuchel replaced Julian Nagelsmann during the international break, and his first game in the dugout was Saturday's Klassiker against his old club Dortmund, who had won nine of their first 10 league games in 2023 to leave them top of the Bundesliga.

But Bayern leapfrogged them to the summit in style.

Gregor Kobel's error and a Thomas Muller double had the 10-time reigning champions 3-0 up within 23 minutes.

Kingsley Coman made it 4-0 shortly after half-time, and though consolation goals from Emre Can and Donyell Malen somewhat took the shine off their victory, Bayern now look the clear favourites to claim an 11th straight Bundesliga title, with Opta rating it at an 87.7 per cent chance they become champions again.

Despite the great start to his tenure, Tuchel insists there is still much work to do if Bayern are to get where he wants them to be, telling Sky TV: "I was very nervous today. It was a good first step but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

"It was a bit too wild, we wanted to have more dominance. We started very nervously. The whole game was actually too sloppy with too many ball losses.

"We have a lot to analyse. The team is extremely willing to learn. I understand that some things haven't worked out yet. All in all, it was too many turnovers that made life difficult for us. We want to be in possession. 

"It's a bit like a band or an orchestra. We have to find our rhythm."

Nagelsmann's sacking came despite Bayern being in the Champions League quarter-finals.

"Everyone was aware of what was at stake here. A change of coach always brings unrest, there was a lot to absorb," Tuchel added.

"The will to implement everything was there 100 per cent. That's the most important. 

"When we played calmly and clearly, we had top-class chances. We have leaders, and that will give us peace and confidence."

Borussia Dortmund hoped there had been a sign of change. BVB were back on top of the Bundesliga ahead of Der Klassiker and going to rivals Bayern Munich as the league's in-form team, their hosts meanwhile were in self-inflicted turmoil.

Victory at Allianz Arena would be the real statement Dortmund desired in a quest to prove they could end Bayern's domination of not only German football's biggest game, but the Bundesliga in general.

And perhaps Dortmund will still go on to win the title, but Saturday's match suggested that no matter how good BVB are, Bayern's psychological hold over them will take years to overcome.

As Bayern cruised to a 4-2 win, the Bundesliga's title race took another turn.

There had been plenty of talk about confidence from the Dortmund camp coming into the game, with CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke managing to perfectly encapsulate Bayern's recent dominance of this fixture when saying they were travelling "to Munich with a lot of self-belief for the first time in a long time".

He was referring to the fact BVB hadn't won at Allianz Arena in the Bundesliga since 2014, when Jurgen Klopp was still in charge, and their run of eight – now nine – successive league losses away to Bayern was their second-worst streak against any club in their top-flight history.

They'd been on the end of some hammerings in that time, too, losing by three or more goals five times.

So, when Dortmund began with genuine promise and swagger on Saturday, there was at least a suggestion Bayern weren't going to have it all their own way.

Dortmund were aggressive in their pressing and incisive with their distribution. Marius Wolf's energy down the right looked a potential weapon; Jude Bellingham showed some classy touches; Marco Reus' off-the-ball runs caused Bayern issues.

In fact, had Reus got his shot off a fraction of a second earlier in the seventh minute after Wolf's clever release, he may well have given BVB an early lead – as it was, Matthijs de Ligt got across to make a vital block.

But as predictable as some might have suggested a comfortable Bayern win was, there was nothing inevitable about the moment everything changed on Saturday.

Dayot Upamecano's pass from just inside his own half was seemingly routine for Gregor Kobel, but the goalkeeper took his eye off the ball as he raced out to clear, getting a slight nick on the ball to score arguably the most remarkable own goal of the season.

It's impossible to definitively say if things would've been different without that horror show, but Dortmund ceased to be much of a threat from that point in the 13th minute.

The following 10 minutes saw Bayern build a handsome lead. Thomas Muller was on hand to nudge home from De Ligt's headed flick-on to make it 2-0, and then punished another Kobel mistake with a tap-in when Leroy Sane's long-range strike was only parried.

It was effectively game over inside a quarter of the contest. Dortmund may have been the Bundesliga's form team coming into the weekend, but their first-half collapse had them reverting to type in Der Klassiker.

It wasn't over yet either.

Bayern looked especially potent in the opening half when attacking from the flanks, with Sane and – in particular – Kingsley Coman absolutely devastating at times.

Their deployment as inverted wingers was one of few significant alterations to the Bayern setup from Tuchel. It worked a treat almost throughout, and its success was tangible with the fourth goal early in the second half.

Sane cut in from the right, played a perfectly weighted pass towards the back post – through the legs of Muller – and Coman was there to stab home.

No one would have expected wholesale changes from Tuchel. After all, he's only had a couple of days to work with much of the squad following the international window.

But such a subtle yet demonstrably effective tweak perhaps highlights why Bayern were so keen to not miss out on the opportunity to finally hire Tuchel.

Similarly, Bayern were thrilling to watch, and we know just how important that is.

"We've come to the conclusion that the quality in our squad – despite the Bundesliga title last year – has come to the fore less and less often. After the World Cup we have played less successfully and less attractively. The big fluctuations in performance have cast doubt on our goals for this season, but also our goals for the future. That is why we have acted now."

Club CEO Oliver Kahn's comments after Julian Nagelsmann's sacking were pretty brutal but offered a lot of clarity to not only the man he'd just fired, but also the one he'd just hired.

Dortmund's late consolations via an Emre Can penalty and Donyell Malen's precise finish might be indicative of some of the issues with Bayern's mentality towards the end of Nagelsmann's reign. The 5-3 win over Augsburg comes to mind.

But 4-2 was a scoreline that flattered Dortmund. If anything, Bayern were a little wasteful, and had they checked their runs better, more goals certainly would've arrived.  

In some ways, this win was almost as close to the perfect start as Tuchel could have enjoyed when you consider the reservations Bayern started to have with Nagelsmann.

It will have likely dealt Dortmund a psychological blow, while Bayern find themselves back at the top of the table having produced an entertaining attacking spectacle.

But this wasn't where the title was won and lost – Bayern's shaky post-World Cup form proves Tuchel still has a lot of work to do.

Thomas Tuchel's Bayern Munich tenure started with a resounding 4-2 victory over rivals Borussia Dortmund at Allianz Arena.

Tuchel replaced Julian Nagelsmann during the international break, and his first game at the helm saw him tasked with shifting his former club Dortmund from top spot in the Bundesliga.

It was a fantastic start for Tuchel on the other side of the Klassiker rivalry, with Gregor Kobel's calamity and Thomas Muller's double putting Bayern 3-0 up inside 23 minutes.

Kingsley Coman nudged Bayern further ahead, though Emre Can's penalty and Donyell Malen's neat finish somewhat reduced the embarrassment for Dortmund, who lost in the league for the first time since November.

Bayern took the lead in bizarre fashion.

Dayot Upamecano's long throughball was seemingly running straight through to Kobel, but Dortmund's goalkeeper opted to try and boot it upfield, only to miscue, inadvertently sending the ball skimming into his own goal.

It was 2-0 just five minutes later, Matthijs de Ligt nodding a corner into the path of Muller, who stabbed home from close range.

Another Kobel blunder gifted Bayern a third – Muller on hand to tuck in the rebound after Leroy Sane's strike had been parried out.

Coman extended the lead in the 50th minute, latching onto Sane's clever pass to sidefoot into the bottom corner, and Dortmund had a reprieve when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's acrobatic finish was disallowed for offside.

Can smashed home a penalty after Jude Bellingham was felled by Serge Gnabry before Malen slotted in, but those goals were merely minor blips in an emphatic Bayern win.

German football's biggest game will take on extra significance this weekend when Bayern Munich host Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena.

Dortmund have mounted a serious challenge to Bayern's sustained Bundesliga dominance this season and lead the defending champions by a point.

Bayern's inability to take control of the title race led to them surprisingly parting ways with Julian Nagelsmann on March 24.

His replacement, a man who has the other side of this storied rivalry, Thomas Tuchel, who was BVB coach from 2015 to 2017.

Tuchel's Dortmund overcame Bayern en route to DFB-Pokal glory in 2017, but the former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss is now immediately under tremendous pressure to deliver victory for Die Roten.

For Dortmund, a win in Bavaria could go a long way to helping Edin Terzic's men seal the title.

But history is firmly against them doing that. With the help of Opta numbers, Stats Perform previews a potential title decider.

Dortmund's Munich misery

Dortmund's 2-2 draw with Bayern in the reverse fixture ended a run of eight consecutive defeats in competitive matches against them.

But the Allianz Arena has become a house of horrors for BVB. Indeed, Dortmund have lost their last eight away games against Bayern in the league.

In Dortmund's Bundesliga history, they have only had one longer losing streak away from home: versus Werder Bremen from 1979 to 1989 (10 matches).

Good omens for BVB

By their lofty standards, Bayern have struggled mightily in 2023.

They have won only five of their 10 Bundesliga games in 2023 (D3 L2) and have 52 points after 25 games.

That is their lowest at this stage of the season since 2011-12, when they had 51 points. The season ended with Dortmund winning the title, Bayern have not failed to do so since.

Since this campaign resumed, Dortmund have claimed a league-high 22 points in eight games. That is a club record for BVB after eight games in the second half of the season. The last time they collected as many points at this stage was the 2011-12 title-winning season under Jurgen Klopp.

The omens are good for Dortmund as they look to end Bayern's reign, but they will need to avoid a repeat of what happened the last time they were top of the Bundesliga in the second half of the season.

Table toppers in trouble?

Dortmund are top of the table for the first time since the second matchday of the 2019-20 season.

Prior to this campaign, they had not been at the summit in the second half of the season since matchday 27 in 2018-19, which saw them thrashed 5-0 by Bayern at the Allianz Arena.

Simply put, Dortmund cannot afford the same outcome this time around if they are to maintain their push to dethrone Bayern.

Graham Potter confirmed that Chelsea and Bayern Munich are in talks over assistant coach Anthony Barry.

However, a potential switch from London to Munich might well be delayed until a potential Champions League meeting between the sides.

Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed as Bayern coach after the sacking of Julian Nagelsmann last week, worked with Barry during his time at Chelsea and is keen to get the 36-year-old on his staff.

Barry is away from the Chelsea training ground while negotiations take place but Potter hinted that any agreement may be delayed until after a potential semi-final Champions League clash.

"Obviously that delay is something I'm pretty sure is in the conversation for obvious reasons," Potter said at a press conference on Friday.

"I have spoken to Anthony, he's someone I respect a lot and he's given everything for Chelsea. I understand that people have aspirations and it's about respecting that.

"He's away from us for the moment. It's between the clubs, it's not something I get involved in.

"I have huge respect for what he's done, here. He's a fantastic coach and a fantastic person."

Chelsea face reigning champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, as they did last year, but could be tasked with a semi-final face-off with former boss Tuchel if Bayern beat Manchester City.

Speaking to reporters in Germany on Friday, Tuchel was positive about the move for Barry.

"It's a matter between the clubs. It's still my absolute wish for him to come. The clubs have to reach an agreement. But I'm optimistic," he said.