Thomas Tuchel sure sounds like he still wants a defensive midfielder for Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich’s see-saw battle against Bayer Leverkusen resulted in a 2-2 draw that saw the momentum shift back and forth throughout. In breaking down the contest for control, Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel discussed his choices in midfield — which included center-back Matthijs de Ligt coming on for Joshua Kimmich and midfielder Konrad Laimer starting at right-back over Noussair Mazraoui.

After the match, Tuchel was asked specifically about the spaces Leverkusen was able to exploit and whether that played a role in both his transfer requests and his recent deployment of De Ligt as a No. 6.

“Konny Laimer ran a lot and was knackered at the end of the game. We were looking for stability and strength in duels that Matthijs de Ligt brings onto the pitch,” Tuchel explained (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “We have to stay compact during our difficult phases and solve that as a team. We did it well in some phases and not so well in other phases. We have to do it during the whole match.”

With De Ligt evidently out of favor in the back line so far, and João Palhinha signing a contract extension at Fulham after a transfer window deadline day failure to secure a move to Bavaria, Tuchel might be short of options for a true CDM type at the No. 6 position. But it does appear it is a profile the manager prefers to have in midfield — at least to solve certain situations.

Looking for more takes and analysis on the Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen match? Check out our Postgame Show on Spotify or below:

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