Borussia Dortmund, Man City Among Thomas Tuchel’s First Five Tough Games As Bayern Boss

• Thomas Tuchel returns to management following his appointment as the new coach of Bayern Munich
• The 49-year-old has agreed to a contract with the Bavarians until June 2025 and will commence training for the first time on Monday, March 27
• Rated as one of the best football brains in the modern game, the 49-year-old has his work cut out with a tough fixture lineup

On paper, Thomas Tuchel's appointment as Bayern Munich boss appears logical following the decision by the club to suddenly change coach.

Julian Naglesmann, a young promising tactician with an appetite for trendy jackets, was shown the door after a string of poor performances despite leading Bayern to a record-extending 10th successive Bundesliga title last term and reaching the Champions League quarterfinal unscathed.

His abrupt end to his stint as Bayern gaffer saw former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel ascend the hot seat in Munich.

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Tuchel has been out of a job since last September when he was axed by Chelsea's new owners led by Todd Boehly, per BBC.

His appointment comes in the wake of Bayern's preparation to face Borussia Dortmund next week in the Bundesliga on Saturday, April 1 and Manchester City in this season’s Champions League quarter-finals on 11 and 19 April.

Sports Brief takes a look at the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss' first five fixtures as head coach of Bayern Munich.

Bayern vs Dortmund

What a way to mark your return to football management! Thomas Tuchel will have a bittersweet feeling as he takes on his former club Borussia Dortmund in a title decider on April 1.

Tuchel's new side are just a point behind Dortmund, and a win at home against the Yellow and Blacks, a side he managed between 2015 and 2017, will inject life back into Bayern's title ambitions.

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Defeat to Dortmund in Der Klassiker, and Bayern will be closer to losing their Bundesliga crown than at any other point since 2012 - which will be the worst possible start for Tuchel.

Bayern vs Freiburg

Three days later, Tuchel will lead his charges against Freiburg, who are fourth in the Bundesliga standings, in the quarterfinals of the DFB Pokal.

In fact, Bayern boasts nine goals in the last two fixtures between the two sides, and the ex-Chelsea trainer will be licking his lips ahead of the fixture.

However, the 49-year-old will be the first person not to count his eggs before they are hatched, as Freiburg could pose a grave danger to the club's ambition of winning the Pokal and Bundesliga double this season.

Freiburg vs Bayern

Next on the list is a trip to Freiburg for the return leg against the same opposition on April 8.

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In as much as Freiburg will prove tough customers, particularly since the POkal presents the only genuine chance of winning a trophy, Tuchel has their number.

His head-to-head record against Christian Streich's charges means the second leg could be a dress rehearsal for tougher tests to come.

Tuchel has lost on only three occasions against Freiburg, winning seven and drawing three in 13 matches.

Manchester City vs Bayern

Now to the biggest and most herculean of all tasks in Thomas Tuchel's first five games is a quarterfinal clash with Manchester City in the Champions League on April 11.

Tuchel's first and only Champions League title as a manager came against none other than Pep Guardiola's Man City.

The German defied all odds, beating Guardiola three times on the bounce, including in the final of the Champions League.

Aside from Tuchel's supreme head-to-head record against Pep, his new side, Bayern, have won every single game in Europe this season, winning all six group games and sweeping aside PSG in the last 16.

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Whatever the case, the titanic clash, which will first be played at City's Etihad Stadium, will be his biggest hurdle yet.

Bayern vs Hoffenheim

Other things being equal, Bayern Munich should be at the summit of the league log when they host Hoffenheim on match day 28 in the Bundesliga on April 15.

What should be more exciting about this encounter for Tuchel is his near-perfect record against Hoffenheim.

According to Transfermarkt, he has only lost once against them and boasts a record of 2.07 points per game in this fixture.

Whatever the case, Tuchel will be chomping at the bit following his appointment as Bayern Munich coach, and it will not come as a surprise if he reenacts his now-popular phrase of "building a team nobody wants to play against" with the German giants.