Bayern Munich in ‘horror movie’ as latest defeat piles pressure on Thomas Tuchel
Bayern were beaten 3-2 by Bochem to drop further ground in the Bundesliga title race, but Thomas Tuchel is set to stay in charge despite the German giants losing their third straight game
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Your support makes all the difference.Bayern Munich failed to cut the gap to Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen as the German champions slipped to a third consecutive defeat to pile the pressure on under-fire manager Thomas Tuchel.
Bayern slumped to a shock 3-2 defeat at Bochum on Sunday night to remain eight points behind Leverkusen, who defeated the German giants 3-0 last weekend to take control of the title race and continue their impressive season under Xabi Alonso.
Tuchel’s side were also beaten 1-0 at Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, with the German coach claiming England captain Harry Kane was “unhappy” with his role in the role in the previous two defeats after the game.
Bayern made a better start against bottom-half Bochum and took the lead in the 15th minute through Jamal Musiala. But the match was then halted in the 22nd minute as tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch in a protest by supporters. Fans all over Germany have been protesting against a controversial plan to sell a stake in Bundesliga media rights to an private equity investment firm.
Bochum took the lead once the match resume, equalising in the 38th minute through Japan forward Takuma Asano before Keven Schlotterbeck scored from a corner just before the break. The match was halted again in the second half as the protests resumed, before Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off for the second match in a row to leave the visitors down to 10 men.
It gave Bochum a penalty and Kevin Stoger converted past Manuel Neuer to make it 3-1, meaning Kane’s 25th goal of the Bundesliga season in stoppage time was nothing more than a consolation.
Bayern have won 11 Bundesliga titles in a row but Leverkusen now have a great chance to become the first team since Borussia Dortmund in 2012 to win the German top-flight. Bayern are also out of the German Cup, and their first-leg defeat to Lazio means they are facing their first trophyless season since the 2011-12 camapaign.
Tuchel is set to remain in charge for next week’s game against fifth-placed side RB Leipzig, however, with club CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen giving his backing to the former Chelsea coach after watching Bayern slip to back-to-back away defeats in the Bundesliga for the first time since 2015.
“I am not a fan of monstrous coach-backing statements,” Dreesen told reporters. “They usually run out after a week. But this (the coach’s future) is not an issue we are dealing with at the moment. We have to focus on our next matches.
Midfielder Leon Goretzka described Bayern’s run as a “horror movie that is not ending”.
“Everything is going against us at the moment,” the Germany international said. “We can again sit here and say we started well. But now you feel stupid to limit yourself to half an hour. In the end we tried everything, so you can’t blame us.”
Elsewhere in Europe, LaLiga leaders Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by lowly city neighbours Rayo Vallecano.
Los Blancos, without Jude Bellingham through injury, had taken an early lead through Joselu and looked set to go eight points clear of Girona, who play at Athletic Bilbao on Monday night.
However, a 27th-minute penalty from Raul de Tomas proved enough for Rayo to earn a derby point in their first match under new boss Inigo Perez, with Real having Dani Carvajal sent off late on.
AC Milan missed the chance to go second in Serie A as they slumped to a 4-2 defeat at neighbours Monza, finishing with 10 men after Luka Jovic was sent off.
After Monza goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio had to be substituted following a clash of heads with team-mate Andrea Carboni, the hosts took the lead through Matteo Pessina’s penalty and Dany Mota added a second just before half-time.
Jovic was sent off six minutes into the second half, his yellow card upgraded to a red on VAR review, for lashing out at Armando Izzo.
Substitutes Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic then hauled the Rossoneri level - only for Warren Bondo to swiftly put Monza ahead again before on-loan forward Lorenzo Colombo added a fourth against his parent club.
In Ligue 1, Brest beat Marseille 1-0 with an 89th-minute goal from Pierre Lees-Melou after forward Steve Mounie had been sent off to move above Nice into second place.
Includes reporting by PA
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