Bayern Munich, the champions, suffered a 3-2 defeat against Bochum on Sunday, marking their third consecutive loss in all competitions. This puts them eight points behind the leaders of the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen.
The team from Bavaria, who had Dayot Upamecano ejected for the second game in a row following his red card in Wednesday’s defeat against Lazio in the Champions League, took the lead in the 13th minute when Jamal Musiala scored from a difficult angle.
But Bochum struck twice before the break through Takuma Asano and Keven Schlotterbeck to complete a stunning comeback for the hosts and pile more pressure on Thomas Tuchel – although Bayern’s chief executive said afterwards that the embattled Bayern coach’s job is safe for now.
“After the game, Tuchel expressed that the current title may not seem plausible. However, in the previous season, we maintained our belief until the very end and ultimately received recognition. Therefore, we will continue to put in effort towards our goal.”
In response to the criticism he faced following his team’s third loss in just eight days, he stated: “That’s expected after every defeat. The most important factor is how we played. Today, our performance was good and that sets today’s 90 minutes apart from the second half against Lazio or the match against Leverkusen.”
The match at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion experienced multiple interruptions as fans threw tennis balls onto the field to protest against the proposed external investment in the Bundesliga.
In the 85th minute, the hosts scored a third goal from a penalty kick by Kevin Stöger after Upamecano was sent off for elbowing an opponent in the penalty area. In the 87th minute, Harry Kane reduced the lead with a simple goal, which was his 25th of the season in the league. However, in stoppage time, he missed a header straight at the goalkeeper.
Tuchel’s team currently holds the second spot with 50 points, trailing eight points behind Leverkusen and leading third-placed VfB Stuttgart by four points. Bochum’s recent win has boosted them to 11th place with 25 points and they seem to have secured their position in the league to avoid relegation.
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The Bayern Munich CEO, Jan-Christian Dreesen, stated that despite the significant distance between them and Leverkusen, Tuchel will continue to serve as the coach for their upcoming Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig on Saturday. Dreesen assured reporters that Tuchel will still be leading the team, saying, “Of course.” He also added that he is not a fan of making grand statements in support of coaches, as they often fade away after a week. However, Dreesen emphasized that this is not a current concern and the team’s focus should be on their upcoming games.
Bayern’s midfielder, Leon Goretzka, expressed a much more negative sentiment. He described the current situation as a never-ending horror movie, with everything seeming to work against the team.
Source: theguardian.com
