Champions League
Bayern loses at Lazio Rome – Thomas Tuchel’s air is getting thinner
Even top scorer Harry Kane couldn’t help FC Bayern and coach Thomas Tuchel at Lazio
© Alfredo Falcone / LaPresse / Zuma Press / DPA
FC Bayern continues to slide into the crisis. In the Champions League, the record champions lost to Lazio in the first leg of the round of 16. There are likely to be uncomfortable days ahead for coach Thomas Tuchel.
After the heavy hit in Leverkusen, coach Thomas Tuchel is threatened with an early knockout in the Champions League with a reeling Bayern team. The German record champions lost 0-1 (0-0) at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday evening against outsiders Lazio Rome after a cramped performance and have to worry about reaching the quarter-finals. The first titleless football season since 2011/12 is looming.
FC Bayern made a lot of mistakes
Defender Dayot Upamecano’s entry into the penalty area against Lazio attacker Gustav Isaksen, which was punished with a red card and a penalty, led to the next bitter defeat. Ex-Dortmunder Ciro Immobile, with strong nerves, converted from the spot in the 69th minute against the hopeless Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Being outnumbered, Bayern were unable to turn things around. There needs to be a significant improvement in the second leg on March 5th.
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The fact that coach Thomas Tuchel returned to the tried and tested playing system and an eleven with the drivers Thomas Müller and Joshua Kimmich after the 0:3 in the top league game at Bayer Leverkusen had an effect. However, despite having a lot of possession, it didn’t translate into goals. The offensive forces around Harry Kane, Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala are currently clearly lacking form and esprit.
“I hope that we play without a backpack,” Tuchel said shortly before kick-off at Dazn. For long stretches, Munich’s game, which was once again riddled with mistakes, seemed like hard work.
Kimmich, who tried a shot early on (2nd), and Müller, who set up a chance for Kane a little later (7th), tried to take control of the game from the start. Like the rest of the team, it was clear that the two leaders lacked lightness after difficult days in the Bundesliga. Especially since Lazio limited themselves to defense at the beginning and showed little interest in creating space and thus offering Bayern space.
The discussion about Thomas Tuchel is likely to continue
A free kick from Sané, who was far from his form in the first half of the season, narrowly missed the goal (32′). Musiala’s finish after a good individual performance (40′) would normally be hard to highlight, but it was one of Munich’s few chances to take the lead in the first half that evening. Tuchel watched the encounter sometimes standing, sometimes sitting with a critical eye. He probably knew that it would be uncomfortable for him on Säbener Strasse.
The Bayern defense around Upamecano and Minjae Kim was hardly challenged in the first half. Coach Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio team – unlike Leverkusen four days ago – mainly deals with pressing, but not with dangerous offensive actions. Exceptions were Luis Alberto’s shot, which narrowly missed Neuer’s goal (22′), and Isaksen’s shot, which missed the target even more clearly (37′).
“Lazio will make the most of being an outsider,” Tuchel had predicted – and he was right. The seventh-placed team in Serie A remained an uncomfortable opponent, driven by the loud home crowd – and was suddenly dangerous to score at the start of the second half. After a mistake by Upamecano, the ball went to Isaksen, but he was too hesitant to finish and was denied by Neuer (48′). Lazio now sensed how vulnerable Bayern are.
Tuchel had already made a slight change, ordering Musiala to the center behind Kane, Sané to the left and Müller to the right. But the measure couldn’t really inspire Bayern’s game. Then Upamecano initiated the next setback with his clear foul on Isaksen in the penalty area: Immobile made the fans in Rome cheer. With one man less, the task became even more difficult for the Munich team. In the final phase, Lazio even pushed for the second goal.
In the second round of 16 first leg on Wednesday evening, Paris St. Germain won 2-0 against Real Sociedad San Sebastian from Spain. BVB will play its first game in the round of 16 next Tuesday at PSV Eindhoven from 9 p.m. The final of the Football Champions League will take place on June 1st at Wembley Stadium in London.