Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel heaped praise on Englishman Jude Bellingham yesterday, describing the 20-year-old Real Madrid midfielder as “extraordinary” ahead of their Uefa Champions League tie tomorrow.

Tuchel and Bellingham missed each other at Borussia Dortmund, where the German was a manager between 2015 and 2017 and the Brit burst onto the European scene between 2020 and 2023.

But Tuchel, armed with Bellingham’s Three Lions teammate Harry Kane on Tuesday, described the youngster as someone who can handle the pressure of a European semi-final.

“Jude is extraordinary… He was fantastic here in the Bundesliga, how he progressed shows the level of personality he has, it’s only possible with a huge personality,” Tuchel said.

“Everyone who plays for Madrid plays with the pressure of the shirt. He plays with the pressure to play with this club and all the expectations.

“He handles it like he’s never done anything else. But we are well aware of it and will try and find solutions.”

The two giants of European football meet tonight at the Allianz Arena before a reverse leg at Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday.

The winner will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley in June.

Recent Champions League finals

Year	Winner	Score	Runner up
2022–23	Manchester City	1–0	Inter Milan
2021–22	Real Madrid	1–0	Liverpool
2020–21	Chelsea	1–0	Manchester City
2019–20	Bayern Munich	1–0	Paris Saint-Germain
2018–19	Liverpool	2–0	Tottenham Hotspur
2017–18	Real Madrid	3–1	Liverpool
2016–17	Real Madrid	4–1	Juventus
2015–16	Real Madrid	1–1 (Real Madrid 5-3 penalties)	Atlético Madrid
2014–15	Barcelona	3–1	Juventus