Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel has vowed to turn things around after his team suffered a shock 3-2 loss at Bochum on Sunday, their third straight defeat in all competitions. The champions are now eight points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen and face a tough challenge to retain their title.
Bochum stun Bayern with comeback win
Bayern Munich took an early lead through Jamal Musiala, who scored his sixth goal of the season with a low shot from a tight angle in the 14th minute. However, the game was interrupted by a fan protest, as tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch to express opposition to outside investment in the Bundesliga.
Bochum took advantage of the disruption and equalized in the 38th minute, when Takuma Asano finished off a pass from Anthony Losilla. The hosts then completed the turnaround just before half-time, as Keven Schlotterbeck headed in a corner from Kevin Stöger.
Upamecano sees red as Bochum seal victory
Bayern Munich tried to fight back in the second half, but they were dealt a blow in the 85th minute, when defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off for elbowing Schlotterbeck in the box. Stöger converted the resulting penalty to make it 3-1 for Bochum.
Harry Kane scored a late consolation goal for Bayern in the 87th minute, tapping in a cross from Mathys Tel. The England striker, who has 25 Bundesliga goals this season, also had a chance to equalize in stoppage time, but his header was saved by Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann.
Tuchel gets CEO’s support despite poor run
The defeat was Bayern Munich’s third in a row, following a 3-0 loss at Leverkusen last weekend and a 1-0 defeat at Lazio in the Champions League on Wednesday. It was also the first time since May 2015 that Bayern lost three consecutive competitive games.
Despite the poor run of form, Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said that Tuchel’s job was safe for now and that he would be in charge for the next game against Leipzig on Saturday. However, he did not rule out making a change at a later stage.
Tuchel, who joined Bayern in March 2023 after being sacked by Chelsea, said he was confident that he could fix the problems at the club and that he had no intention of resigning. He said he was proud of his players and that they deserved more points than they had.
Leverkusen extend lead at the top of the table
The result left Bayern Munich in second place on 50 points, eight behind Leverkusen, who beat Heidenheim 2-1 on Saturday to equal a German record of 32 matches unbeaten in all competitions. Leverkusen have won 15 of their 18 league games this season and look set to end Bayern’s dominance of the Bundesliga.
Bochum, meanwhile, moved up to 11th place on 25 points and boosted their chances of avoiding relegation. They have won three of their last four league games and have shown impressive resilience under coach Thomas Reis.
