Bayern Munich manager, Thomas Tuchel, is not concerned over his position at the Bundesliga club after a 1-0 defeat away to Lazio in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg.
It was a poor showing by Tuchel’s side at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night as they failed to register a single shot on target, despite having over 60 per cent of the possession. The loss in Italy follows on from Bayern’s 3-0 defeat to title rivals, Bayer Leverkusen, on the weekend, which now leaves them five points behind Xabi Alonso’s team in the Bundesliga.
It was also a frustrating night for Tuchel as his starting centre-back, Dayot Upamecano, was handed a straight red card for a challenge which led to the winning penalty kick by Ciro Immobile in the second half. The Frenchman will now miss the return leg between the two sides next month.
Pressure is on Tuchel to deliver the Champions League for Bayern as after acquiring Harry Kane and Kim-Min-Jae last summer, no team other than the current holders, Manchester City, are deemed to have a stronger squad across the continent.
Bayern’s display against Lazio suggests that the side’s form in Europe looks to be replicating their domestic struggles this season. In addition to trailing in the Bundesliga Bayer Leverkusen, Tuchel oversaw a shock exit to third-tier side, 1. FC Saarbrucken, in the second round of the DFB-Pokal, last November.
Ultimately, the club’s disappointing displays have increased the pressure on Tuchel, with the German press and club supporters questioning whether his days in the Allianz Arena dugout are numbered.
However, despite Wednesday’s loss in Italy, Tuchel is not worried about being dismissed by Bayern. When he was questioned on the matter post-match, he told reporters: “No, I am not worried about my future.”
The Bayern boss was baffled by how his side lost to Lazio, saying: “We did everything to lose this match. It was in our hands. At a certain point we stopped believing, I have no idea why. There were many individual mistakes.”
Tuchel will have been particularly frustrated with the chances his side failed to take in the first half as despite Lazio remaining compact for large periods, there were still decent enough opportunities for the visitors to take the lead.
Kane put an early close-range chance over the bar whilst a clever free-kick routine that involved Leroy Sane striking the ball from just outside the penalty box went just wide of the post. Jamal Musiala then squandered another decent chance for Bayern as his effort in the closing stages of the half flew over the woodwork.
Lazio almost went ahead early on in the second half as Upamecano was dispossessed by Luis Alberto, who played a ball in behind Bayern’s defence to Gustav Isaksen, but the forward’s effort was kept out by Manuel Neuer.
66 minutes into the match, Isaksen was involved in the action again as he had a shot deflect off Upamecano and seemingly go out for a corner. However, Upamecano was judged to have dangerously fouled Isaksen when the Lazio player struck the ball, and the French defender was subsequently sent off.
Lazio’s skipper, Immobile, assuredly put his penalty past Neuer to give the Serie A side the lead.
The home side continued to frustrate Bayern, who were beginning to look devoid of any ideas and seemed to lack any spark in their play despite the talent they possessed on the pitch. Luckily for Bayern, Lazio did not score a second as Felipe Anderson had a great scoring chance late on, but his shot was blocked by Min-Jae.
The final whistle blew with the Bayern players appeared dejected on the pitch. It will now be up to Tuchel to instil belief in his players ahead of the return leg in Munich on 5th March at the Allianz Arena.
Many will favour Bayern in the second leg due to them being at home and the deficit not being large, but Lazio’s first-leg display proves that they are a strong enough unit to get a result in Germany.
Before the second leg against Lazio, Bayern have crucial league games to play against Vfl Bochum, RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg. Here, Bayern will hope to cut Bayer Leverkusen’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
Unless performances and results improve, there is a real possibility that Tuchel ends this season without any silverware, which would mark Bayern’s first trophyless campaign since 2011/2012. This scenario playing out would likely prove to be the end of Tuchel’s spell in Munich.
