Bayern Munich stretched their lead at the Bundesliga summit to four points as goals from Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane clinched a 2-1 win over a stubborn Werder Bremen.

Having taken advantage of Borussia Dortmund's slip-up at Bochum to go top last week, Bayern knew an 11th consecutive league title is now in their hands as they travelled to the Weserstadion on Saturday.

Thomas Tuchel's stuttering start at Bayern looked set to continue as Werder held firm for over an hour, but Gnabry's close-range finish broke the hosts' resistance before Sane capped a flowing move to make it 2-0.

Though Niklas Schmidt's stunning strike ensured a nervous finish, Bayern clung on to pile the pressure on Dortmund ahead of their meeting with Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Jiri Pavlenka smothered Gnabry's shot from a tight angle early on before making an even better save 20 minutes in, blocking Benjamin Pavard's powerful close-range header.

Werder threatened on the break as Mitchell Weiser went close to converting Romano Schmid's cross, while Christian Gross fired over at the end of a mazy run.

Gnabry misjudged an overhead kick as Bayern's pressure mounted after the restart, and then teed up Sadio Mane to side-foot narrowly wide.

It was Gnabry who made the breakthrough just as Bayern seemed to be running out of ideas. The Germany international lost his marker to sweep home from close range after Jamal Musiala's shot deflected into his path.

Bayern extended their lead 10 minutes later as substitute Sane slotted into the bottom-left corner.

There was a tense finish to come as Schmidt found the top-right corner from long range, but Bayern stood firm to take a huge step towards retaining their title.

Thomas Tuchel admitted Bayern Munich have reached the point where "nothing is easy" as he demanded his faltering team show a reaction to losing top spot in the Bundesliga.

Tuchel was undecided about whether to tune in for Borussia Dortmund's clash with Bochum on Friday, knowing a Dortmund win would lift them four points clear of Bayern.

This weekend sees Bayern have to wait until Sunday for their turn, as they host Hertha Berlin. After that, both they and Dortmund will have four rounds of games remaining.

The clock is ticking, and Bayern's 10-in-a-row title run is under serious threat following a damaging 3-1 defeat to Mainz last weekend.

Head coach Tuchel has injuries to contend with too. Centre-back Dayot Upamecano will miss the Hertha game due to a thigh strain and faces a fortnight on the sidelines, with striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and wing-back Alphonso Davies also set to be absent.

"I don't even know if I'm watching Dortmund," Tuchel said. "For us, the starting position is clear: we no longer have it in our own hands, and now we have to get 15 points.

"We have to improve. It's not too late to show a reaction. We need them right away on Sunday. More than ever, it's all about us. We have to deliver and then hope that's enough."

Hertha, who sit bottom of the Bundesliga, recently brought in Pal Dardai to replace coach Sandro Schwarz, and for that reason, Tuchel described the strugglers as an "unpredictable" prospect.

"That's why we have one more reason to focus completely on ourselves. Nothing is easy for us at the moment," Tuchel said. "The situation is crystal clear. We have to deliver."

Former Chelsea, Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss Tuchel has experienced a turbulent start to his Bayern reign, since being appointed on March 25, overseeing exits from the DFB-Pokal and Champions League.

Should Bayern also fail to land the league title that has been their preserve for the last decade, it would compound this season's woes.

A draw against Hoffenheim in mid-April was another damaging result, and Bayern cannot afford to fluff their lines this weekend.

"We are very honest with each other, very critical," Tuchel said. "The team know my opinion on the Mainz game.

"In sport there is always the opportunity to make amends. In the last two games we lost points after taking the lead. That's very atypical for us.

"Honesty and openness is the best form of interaction. We've shown that we can do it. It's more the consistency that we lack."

Juan Mata has named Didier Drogba as the best team-mate he played alongside in the Champions League, while Lionel Messi is the Spaniard's most revered opponent.

Drogba, a legend at Stamford Bridge, scored the winning spot-kick in Chelsea's penalty shoot-out victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final.

It brought up Chelsea's first European crown, one they followed up nine years later by beating Manchester City 1-0 in Porto.

Drogba's coolly taken penalty was his memorable final contribution during his first stint at Chelsea, albeit he returned for a brief second spell in 2014.

Mata, who now plays for Galatasaray, had left for Manchester United by that time, but for him, Drogba will always be the former team-mate synonymous with big Champions League moments.

"If I think about the Champions League, and the times we played together at Chelsea, and when we won the competition, the first big man that comes to mind is Didier Drogba," Mata said in an interview with the Go Turkiye YouTube Channel.

"He scored the goal in the final, he scored the last penalty, he was a leader on and off the pitch, and he is definitely one of the best strikers of the last 20 or 30 years, so he has to be there. 

"He was very helpful to me during my time in London, and he comes to my mind when I think of the Champions League.

"I also have to mention John Terry, [Frank] Lampard, Wayne Rooney, [Robin] van Persie, and many other greats that I had the chance to play with.

"But when I think of Champions League and that final in Munich, it has to be Didier."

 When it came to the toughest opponent playmaker Mata has faced, there was only one player who came to mind.

"I'll have to go with Messi," Mata said. "I played against him in the Spanish league with Valencia, but also in the Champions League with Chelsea.

"I remember those semi-finals when we won it, and he missed a penalty, and he was very unlucky.

"But he is an unbelievable player, still playing at such a great level, we got to see what he did at the World Cup.

"I admire him, and it was a pleasure for me to play against him, hopefully we can play against each other again.

"For me, I have to say he is the one."

Hamit Altintop, who played for Bayern and Real Madrid, echoed Mata's sentiment, though it was not as easy for the former Turkey international to pick out an individual.

"Didier is a real leader on and off the pitch, I played with him in Galatasaray," he added.

"One of my friends asked me if I could make my best XI. In goal: Oliver Kahn, Manuel Neuer, Iker Casillas… These names are all unbelievable players that get mentioned if you talk about the Champions League.

"Iker Casillas is amazing, Cristiano [Ronaldo] the same, if you're talking about the Champions League, you have to mention Messi, of course. All of these names come to mind."

An Italian team is guaranteed to reach the Champions League final for the first time since 2017, when Madrid beat Juventus, with a Milan derby on the cards in the semi-finals.

Manchester City and Madrid face off in the other semi-final tie, and Mata pointed out it is not always the strongest team that goes on to win the competition.

"Sometimes in the Champions League, the best teams don't win, because it's not as long as a normal league, so sometimes you need a little bit of luck: a post, a save, a penalty or other things like that," the 34-year-old said.

"If you don't have mental strength, and if you don't all behave as one, you're not going to win. I felt like that is what happened with Chelsea at that time, we felt like it was meant to be, we felt that was the year.

"For me the mental aspect of football, sometimes it is undervalued, but for me it is key."

Bayern Munich are not the only club in the hunt for Randal Kolo Muani, according to Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche.

Reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern are making urgent moves to find a prolific striker to join them at the end of the season, having not adequately replaced Robert Lewandowski when he left for Barcelona ahead of this campaign.

France international Kolo Muani has been linked with a transfer following a strong first season in Germany's top flight with Frankfurt.

Uli Hoeness, the influential former Bayern president, is reportedly keen on seeing 24-year-old Kolo Muani come in to strengthen Thomas Tuchel's attacking options.

However, Krosche told German broadcaster Sky Sport: "So far there have been no specific enquiries, neither from Bayern nor from others."

Krosche is nevertheless alive to interest in the former Nantes player, who has managed 13 goals and 10 assists in 28 Bundesliga games for mid-table Frankfurt, converting 20.31 per cent of his chances.

"Bayern Munich are not the only club occupied with him," Krosche said. "On the other hand, Randal still feels very comfortable with us, and he also has a lot of development areas that he can work on very well with us."

Mateo Kovacic feels "at home" at Chelsea amid suggestions the Croatian could be targeted by Manchester City and Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

Kovacic is approaching the final 12 months of his contract with Chelsea, and his failure to put pen to paper on a new deal has led to suggestions he could seek an exit.

City could be in the market for midfield reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window, with club captain Ilkay Gundogan rumoured to be weighing up a contract offer from Barcelona. 

Kovacic has also been linked with a reunion with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, who has endured a troubled start to life at Bayern since replacing Julian Nagelsmann last month.

The 28-year-old has been a regular under three different coaches during a season of upheaval at Stamford Bridge, and he remains content in west London.

Speaking to the club's media channels, Kovacic said: "I have been here five years already, time flies, and I have been at Chelsea the longest of all my clubs.

"I feel really, really at home. There is nothing to not love in London. My family enjoys it, which makes it easier for me. The food is okay, maybe not like Italy or Spain! But London is amazing.

"I can only say good things about London and England. We feel really great here."

Kovacic has started three of Chelsea's four games since Frank Lampard returned to the club as caretaker manager earlier this month, including both legs of a 4-0 aggregate defeat against his former club Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Bayern Munich's bid to retain their Bundesliga title suffered another blow on Sunday as left-back Alphonso Davies was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Thomas Tuchel's men are winless in four games after capitulating to a 3-1 defeat at Mainz on Saturday, a result which handed Borussia Dortmund the initiative in the title race.

Dortmund took advantage of Bayern's latest slip-up by thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 to go one point clear at the summit with just five games of the season remaining.

Bayern's woes were compounded by the sight of Davies limping from the field just nine minutes into their defeat, with the Canadian clutching his left hamstring after pulling up unchallenged. 

Reports in Germany subsequently suggested the 22-year-old could miss the rest of the season, and Bayern have now confirmed he will be out of action "for the upcoming games".

A statement on the club's website said: "Alphonso Davies will be out of action for FC Bayern for the time being. 

"Scans have revealed that the 22-year-old Canadian suffered a muscle strain in his left hamstring during Saturday's away match at 1. FSV Mainz 05. Davies went to ground following a running duel in the ninth minute and was forced off early."

Davies' injury represents the latest blow to befall Bayern, who have suffered as many defeats in seven games under Tuchel (three) as they did in their 37 matches under his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann this term. 

Thomas Tuchel thinks Bayern Munich resemble "a team that has played 70 or 80 games" after the lethargic Bavarians let more Bundesliga points slip away in a 3-1 defeat at Mainz.

Bayern looked likely to extend their lead over second-placed Borussia Dortmund to five points when Sadio Mane put them ahead, but an astonishing second-half collapse continued Tuchel's troubling start to life at the club.

Goals from Ludovic Ajorque, Leandro Barreiro and Aaron Martin dealt Tuchel his third loss in seven games at the helm, denting Bayern's hopes of an 11th consecutive league title.

Bayern have now gone four games without a win across all competitions, and Tuchel believes a lack of energy is responsible for their downturn.

"I don't think it's a technical or tactical problem," Tuchel said. "We look like we have tired legs, we're anything but fresh. It feels like we're playing in extra time every time we take to the pitch.

"It's very difficult to bring over new content or new ideas, because everyone is fighting with themselves right now.

"There are long phases in all the games where we're good, and then in the short phases where we're not. We're letting points slip through our fingers. It's going through our hands like sand.

"We have no energy. We look like a team that has played 70 or 80 games this season. We're missing physicality, intensity, the foundation that you always need."

Asked whether a lack of incentive was an issue for a group of players used to dominating the Bundesliga, Tuchel said: "I don't think it's down to a big motivational problem when it comes to an 11th or 12th title. 

"We have the best squad in the league, we have the biggest budget in the league, and it really is our expectation and demand to be title winners at the end of the season.

"But what comes with that are the things that are going against us, not just for the last three weeks, but for a while now. There's no sense of entitlement. We're playing without a sense of urgency.

"It feels like we're just stumbling a bit. We could have been two or three-nil up in this match, and we would have had a very different press conference, but we didn't do that. Then of course, we could have defended the goals, but we didn't do that either."

In all competitions, Bayern have now suffered as many defeats in seven games under Tuchel (three), as they did in 37 contests under his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann this season.

Asked if he felt responsible for Bayern's downturn despite his limited time with the players, Tuchel said: "I always find myself responsible, regardless of whether I've been here for one day, one month or one year. 

"We've lost a lot of points in the second half of the season and right now, we're not in a position to hit our top performance levels. I feel responsible, but ultimately, everyone is responsible."

Bayern Munich's troubling start to Thomas Tuchel's reign continued as the champions slumped to a 3-1 defeat to Mainz at Mewa Arena on Saturday.

Die Roten looked to be on track to bounce back from their midweek Champions League elimination by Manchester City, but they were sensationally pegged back by Tuchel's former team as Bayern's winless streak stretched to four matches.

Sadio Mane gave Bayern a deserved first-half lead from close range, but Mainz showed signs of promise and built on such encouragement after the break when Ludovic Ajorque wiped out the lead.

Leandro Barreiro put Mainz in front 17 minutes from time and Aaron Martin's fine strike soon after finished Bayern off, gifting Borussia Dortmund the opportunity to go top later in the day.

Bayern threatened an early breakthrough when Mane coolly clipped over Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner in the 15th minute, only for his goal to be disallowed for offside.

But the visitors did take the lead just before the half-hour mark, Joao Cancelo's left-wing cross leaving Mane with the simplest of headed finishes at the back post.

The hosts were good value for their leveller after the hour, however.

Sommer could only parry Lee Jae-sung's effort and Ajorque was on hand to nod in from a few yards out.

That was merely the start for Mainz.

Eight minutes later, Karim Onisiwo fended off Josip Stanisic when meeting Ajorque's flick-on and subsequently teed up Barreiro, who confidently slotted home.

Martin then put the game beyond Bayern, smashing left-footed into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the box with 11 minutes remaining.

Julian Nagelsmann appeared to confirm reports he is not a candidate to become Chelsea's new head coach.

Nagelsmann was surprisingly sacked by Bayern Munich last month, with Thomas Tuchel replacing him as the Bavarian giants try to fend off Borussia Dortmund's challenge for their Bundesliga title. 

Having won plenty of admirers during successful spells with Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig before leading Bayern to the Bundesliga title last season, Nagelsmann was immediately touted as a potential permanent successor to Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge.

Nagelsmann reportedly held talks with Chelsea over taking the job at the end of the campaign, but widespread reports on Friday suggested he had withdrawn from the running.

Asked about those reports by Sky Sports in Germany, Nagelsmann said: "To cancel something, you have to commit to something."

Chelsea sit 11th in the Premier League table after failing to win any of their past five games in the competition, their most recent league victory coming against Leicester City under Potter on March 11.

Since appointing Frank Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the season, Chelsea have lost four successive games across all competitions, a run that saw them eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Nagelsmann could still be set for a move to the Premier League, however, with the 35-year-old being linked with Tottenham as they search for a permanent replacement for Antonio Conte.

He has also been suggested as a potential candidate to take over from Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, though the Italian recently said he has no intention of leaving Los Blancos at the end of the season despite links with Brazil.

Thomas Tuchel insisted there was nothing personal about his decision to bench Thomas Muller for both legs of Bayern Munich's Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City.

The 33-year-old was omitted from the starting line-up in Manchester and Munich, and Bayern slipped to a 4-1 aggregate defeat to slide out at the last-eight stage for a third consecutive season.

Muller is the most decorated player in Bayern's history, winning 11 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League crowns during his stellar career with the Bavarians.

He has a chance of another domestic league title this season, but that is all Bayern have left to challenge for after their European exit and defeat to Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal quarters.

It would be a calamity if recently appointed Tuchel fell out with club legend Muller, but the coach denies there is any problem between the pair. Indeed, he said he was "extremely impressed" with how Muller accepted his team selections.

"I am a big Thomas Muller fan myself. He has a world-class indefinability," Tuchel said in Friday's pre-match press conference.

"The Manchester games haven't suited him perfectly. Otherwise, he probably would have played. Many games are Muller games.

"Everything is OK at the moment. I was pleased with his reaction on the training ground yesterday. I was extremely impressed. He handled it in an exemplary manner. He just stepped on the gas and pulled the team along.

"But I have to make my decisions, sometimes they are hard. There is no personal note in it. Everyone has to accept it in a competitive situation."

Muller, who made brief substitute appearances in both City games, is likely to start on Saturday when Tuchel goes up against Mainz, one of the Bayern coach's former clubs.

Tuchel has called on Bayern to show more swagger in their remaining games, saying the team have lacked "a dash of determination and a dash of egoism".

"It's important how the team handles the situation. A lot has happened this season," said Tuchel. "The team has experienced a lot."

Bayern lead the Bundesliga by two points from Borussia Dortmund with six rounds of games remaining, and Tuchel stressed the domestic league must not be seen as a consolation prize for a team who craved European glory.

"I experienced it myself in Paris [when coaching Paris Saint-Germain], how sad it is that the championship is taken for granted," Tuchel said.

"It must not be taken for granted. Sure, we won't be celebrated as if an underdog became champion. We will not artificially downplay our claim to become champions.

"A championship is less prone to failure because you have time over a longer period of time. We fight for the title. We shouldn't be ashamed of that."

Thomas Tuchel slammed speculation about the Bayern Munich future of Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic by stating the off-field leaders "shaped the club".

This has been a tough week for Bayern, with Champions League elimination coming at the quarter-final stage for a third successive season after a 1-1 draw with Manchester City meant a 4-1 aggregate defeat.

Tuchel allowed himself a joke in Friday's pre-match conference, ahead of the clash with Mainz, when he reacted to the arrival of set-piece mastermind Anthony Barry from Chelsea by saying: "Finally there is a good coach."

Most focus has fallen on the possibility of departures, however, with reports casting some doubt on whether Bayern will continue to back CEO Kahn and sporting director Salihamidzic.

"I read absolutely nothing," said head coach Tuchel. "I come here in the morning and I feel a good energy here. I try to influence what I can influence.

"I don't want to comment on the rumours. My cooperation with the club management is goal- and solution-oriented. Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic shaped the club."

He added: "I don't rule out that some unrest affects the players. But it will never be completely calm. We focus on the things that we can influence ourselves. I don't know any other way."

Tuchel's team must reset and train their focus on the Bundesliga, their last remaining trophy target. Bayern head into this weekend's games with a two-point lead over second-placed Borussia Dortmund after both drew their last league matches.

According to Tuchel, Bayern are not themselves at the moment. "I rather sense an insecurity, an unrest that paralyses us a bit," he said.

He said the team should look to "turn dissatisfaction into energy", and Tuchel, appointed on March 25, has seen plenty of cause for dissatisfaction.

Bayern exited the DFB-Pokal to Freiburg under his watch in early April and have not gone beyond the quarter-finals of that competition in the last three seasons.

But Tuchel said: "This is not a crisis. We must not question everything. There is always a sense of reality involved. Many big clubs didn't make it to the [Champions League] quarter-finals. But we remain ambitious and we always want more. We're still first in the Bundesliga."

The arrival of coach Barry is a timely boost, with a deal agreed to take him from Chelsea, where he and Tuchel previously collaborated.

"He just arrived," Tuchel said. "Finally there is a good coach. I am very happy. We really wanted to have him with us. The whole package is right for him: his personality, the love of the game, the love of his job, his passion and his quality. He brings a lot of energy. His work with set-pieces at Chelsea was on a whole new level for me."

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."