Bayern boss Tuchel tells players to find their inner child at Bernabeu

MADRID : Playing against Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final is what many of Bayern Munich's players would have grown up dreaming about and manager Thomas Tuchel wants his side to rediscover their inner child at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

After last week's 2-2 draw in Germany, Bayern will have to beat Real in their own back yard if they are to reach the final at Wembley.

With Bayer Leverkusen ending Bayern's 11-year Bundesliga reign by securing the league title last month, the six-times European Cup winners have only one trophy left to fight for this season.

Tuchel spent several minutes talking to his players in an empty Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday and said that he told them they needed to find extra motivation within themselves.

"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."

Bayern were undone by a clinical Real in the first leg, with the German side dominating for large periods without putting their opponents to the sword.

Two goals from Real's Vinicius Jr. either side of efforts from Leroy Sane and Harry Kane left the tie poised on a knife edge, but with Real favourites to advance with the second leg in Spain.

Real, the record 14 times winners, have an aura in the Champions League, but Tuchel said the Spaniards' record holds no fear for his