Germany lost 2-3 at Bochum in round 22 of the Bundesliga, Bayern fell eight points behind the top team Leverkusen and fell deeper into crisis.
Before that, Bayern suffered a 0-3 defeat at Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and lost 0-1 to Lazio in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. This was the first time the "Gray Tigers" had lost three consecutive matches in all competitions since May 2015. They also suffered their seventh defeat of the season and their 11th in 44 matches under coach Thomas Tuchel.
Leroy Sane (right) is disappointed after Keven Schlotterbeck (No. 31) scored to make it 2-1 for Bochum in round 22 of the Bundesliga on February 18. Photo: Reuters
After being eliminated from the German Cup by third-tier Saarbrucken in the second round, this series of defeats has made Tuchel's position even more shaky. According to Bild , Bayern's board of directors held an urgent meeting immediately after the loss to Bochum to consider the future of the German coach. Tuchel will almost certainly be fired if Bayern do not beat RB Leipzig in round 23 of the Bundesliga on February 25.
At the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on February 28, Bayern were slightly better, controlling 70% of the ball and taking 27 shots with 10 on target - compared to Bochum's 13 and 4. The visitors opened the scoring with Jamal Musiala's shot into the roof of the net in the 14th minute but then squandered a series of clear-cut chances. Harry Kane shot high into the air in a one-on-one in the 19th minute and Musiala curled wide a few minutes later.
The defending champions paid a heavy price for wasting their chances. In the 38th minute, Anthony Losilla passed the ball to Takuma Asano, who escaped unmarked, and then shot diagonally past Manuel Neuer. The Japanese striker scored his seventh goal of the season and his first in his seventh match against Bayern.
Japanese striker Takuma Asano celebrates scoring the equalizer for Bochum in their 3-1 comeback win over Bayern in round 22 of the Bundesliga on February 18. Photo: Reuters
In the 44th minute, Kevin Stoger took a corner kick from the right wing for center-back Keven Schlotterbeck to jump high and head the ball to help Bochum enter the break with the advantage. On the coaching bench, Tuchel was angry and immediately discussed with his assistants.
A similar scenario played out in the second half, as Bayern failed to capitalise on a series of opportunities and conceded another goal in the 77th minute. Dayot Upamecano swung his arm at Schlotterbeck in the penalty area, earning a straight red card and conceding a penalty. Upamecano was also sent off and conceded a penalty in Bayern's match against Lazio a few days ago. This time, Neuer was also unable to save the goal despite touching the ball from Kevin Stoger's shot.
In the 87th minute, Kane finished into an empty net, setting a record of 25 goals in 22 Bundesliga matches, but could not help Bayern escape defeat. The 2-3 result left Tuchel's team eight points behind Leverkusen, with 12 rounds left.
Striker Harry Kane was disappointed by the excitement of Bochum player Cristian Gamboa at the end of Bayern's 2-3 loss in round 22 of the Bundesliga on February 18. Photo: Reuters
Line-up :
Bochum : Riemann, Masovic, Ordets, Schlotterbeck, Oermann (Gamboa 46), Asano (Forster 89), Losilla (Loosli 90), Stoger, Bernardo, Antwi-Adjei (Kwarteng 79), Broschinski.
Bayern : Neuer, Guerreiro (Dier 79), Kim Min-jae, De Ligt, Mazraoui (Upamecano 32), Goretzka, Kimmich (Zaragoza 63), Musiala, Choupo-Moting (Sane 63), Muller (Tel 79), Kane.
Hong Duy
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