Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann saw Dayot Upamecano’s struggles against Borussia Mönchengladbach from afar last week, but supported his defender during his Monday press conference.
Per the coach, Upamecano does not have to worry about an extended stay on the bench after an abysmal showing against Gladbach. Nagelsmann, though, admitted that Upamecano must change the way he approaches competing against physically dominant players like Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland or Gladbach’s Breel Embolo. The manager also expects his coaching staff to help Upamecano work through his issues.
“He can count on chances. Of course, it’s difficult for any center back to play against physically strong and fast players — that’s normal, everyone has a hard time there. Against physically robust players, he has to choose a different way of defending,” said Nagelsmann (as captured by Tz). “That’s what we coaches are there for and what we can bring into the situation. It’s about getting into a smart defensive stance in certain moments.”
After getting some rest against Union Berlin, Upamecano will likely be back in the lineup against Benfica.
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