Bayern Munich's coach Thomas Tuchel under pressure after consecutive defeats

By SABC Sport
15th February 2024

In a string of setbacks, Bayern Munich's quest for glory has hit a stumbling block, raising concerns over coach Thomas Tuchel's leadership.

The recent 3-0 Bundesliga defeat to Bayer Leverkusen followed by a 1-0 loss against Lazio in the Champions League has left the football world questioning the team's resilience.

The pivotal moment unfolded on Wednesday in the 67th minute when a counterattack from Lazio left Bayern vulnerable. Dayot Upamecano's untimely challenge on Gustav Isaksen resulted in a penalty, accompanied by a red card for the defender. Ciro Immobile capitalized on the opportunity, sending Manuel Neuer the wrong way and securing a 1-0 victory for Lazio.

Reduced to 10 men, Bayern fought valiantly to salvage the match, but their efforts fell short, leading to another disappointing defeat. Despite the setback, there's a glimmer of hope for Bayern fans, as the narrow margin of Lazio's lead allows room for a turnaround in the return leg at the Allianz Arena on March 5.

In a post-match interview, Tuchel expressed his frustration and anger, emphasizing that his team lost their conviction in the second half at Stadio Olimpico. "I think we lost the game; I'm not sure Lazio won it," Tuchel remarked, perplexed by the team's sudden dip in performance.

While acknowledging the challenges, Tuchel highlighted the positives from the first half, citing missed opportunities.

"There are things we can build on. In the first half, we created some good chances, some big chances and one huge one with Jamal [Musiala], but in the end we didn't have a single shot on target, so it's clear you can't win a game like that. But we've got a second leg and, obviously in conjunction with the last result, it doesn't look great, but we'll keep working hard."

Bayern's focus now shifts to redemption as they face VfL Bochum in their upcoming Bundesliga clash at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Sunday. The football powerhouse aim to regroup and reignite their winning ways in a bid to silence the mounting criticism and salvage their season.