The last time Bayern lost three or more competitive games in a row was in 2015. Back then, there were even six games under coach Josep Guardiola. Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen nevertheless made a commitment to Tuchel immediately after the bankruptcy in Bochum. The question of a change of coach does not arise. “This is not a topic that we are currently dealing with,” said the Munich boss. Tuchel will “of course” sit on the bench in the home game against RB Leipzig on Saturday.
However, it is not expected that calm will return to Bayern. Tuchel knows that too. Dreesen’s confession was “of course nice,” said the coach. “I doubt whether it helps that the discussions are not being held,” said Tuchel. They’ve been there “for what feels like the whole season. Even when we won games,” he said almost defiantly. “For a few weeks now, I’ve reached the point where it no longer affects me. I focus on what I can influence. “That’s the only recipe I know,” said Tuchel.
APA/AFP/Ina Fassbender Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel feels strong headwind after the three defeats
Defending the title “not realistic”
Twelve games before the end of the season, the gap to league leaders Bayer Leverkusen has grown to eight points. Tuchel, who replaced Julian Nagelsmann in March of last year, does not want to give up the twelfth championship title in a row; it was reminiscent of the heart-stopping finale last season when Borussia Dortmund squandered the triumph they thought was certain in the last round.
At the moment, defending the title is “not realistic,” said Tuchel: “But last season we believed in it until the end and were rewarded.” He classified the defeat in Bochum as unfortunate. “I don’t think the defeat was fair. I think a lot went against us. Anything that could go wrong did go wrong,” said Tuchel.
picturedesk.com/dpa/David Inderlied The Bayern players were unable to walk off the field with their heads held high after the defeat against Bochum
In any case, the frustration among the Munich team is great and is said to have erupted in a verbal argument in Bochum between Joshua Kimmich, who was replaced after just over an hour, and co-coach Zsolt Löw. Veteran Thomas Müller wrote on Instagram about a “week to forget”. “It is difficult to find the right words for our feelings,” said Müller. Goretzka was self-critical. “At the end of the day, it’s individual mistakes that we make – and there are too many of them. At the moment, I think we have to question everything,” said the German Football Association (DFB) national player.
Upamecano twice as the nail in the coffin
Symptomatic of this is defender Dayot Upamecano, who has had a particularly terrible week: two games, two sendings off, twice causing the decisive penalty. “Unfortunately, those were two very consequential fouls that he committed. That’s twice too impetuous, twice too aggressive. Unfortunately, because he is ruining his own performances,” said Tuchel.
In the 0-1 draw at Lazio on Wednesday, the Frenchman caused the penalty for the only goal and was shown a red card for his action. In Bochum, the former Salzburg player took the penalty to make it 1-3, which Austrian Kevin Stöger converted, and saw yellow-red.
The 42 million man was actually only “scheduled for a maximum of half an hour” because of his knee problems, said the coach. Because Noussair Mazraoui was injured, he had to come on as a substitute in the 32nd minute. Right-back Mazraoui will be out for the next games due to a torn muscle fiber in his left thigh, as the Munich team announced on Monday evening.
German Bundesliga, 22nd round
Sunday:
Bochum – Bayern Munich 3:2 (2:1)
Goals: Asano (38th), Schlotterbeck (44th), Stöger (85th/penalty) or Musiala (14th), Kane (87th)
Yellow-red card: Upamecano (78./Bayern)
Bochum: Stöger played through
Bayern: Laimer (injured) not in the squad
Freiburg – Frankfurt 3:3 (2:2)
Goals: Doan (30th), Grifo (45th + 5/penalty), Gregoritsch (89th) or Marmoush (27th), Knauff (35th, 72nd)
Freiburg: Gregoritsch from the 77th minute, Adamu replacement, Lienhart (injured) not in the squad
Frankfurt: Kalajdzic encore 11. Minute (verletzt)
Saturday:
Heidenheim – Leverkusen 1:2 (0:1)
Goals: Kleindienst (86th) or Frimpong (45th + 2), Adli (81st)
Heidenheim: Dovedan from the 46th minute
Darmstadt – Stuttgart 1:2 (0:1)
Tore: Seydel (95.) bzw. Guirassy (14.), Dahoud (92.)
Yellow-red card: Stenzel (45th+22/Stuttgart)
Darmstadt: Klarer until the 46th minute, Karic until the 74th minute
Wolfsburg – Dortmund 1:1 (0:1)
Goals: Gerhardt (63rd) and Füllkrug (8th)
Wolfsburg: Wimmer replacement
Dortmund: Sabitzer played through
Mainz – Augsburg 1:0 (1:0)
Tor: van den Berg (43.)
Red card: Pedersen (90./Augsburg)
Note: Amiri (Mainz) misses a penalty (45.+6)
Mainz: Mwene played through, Onisiwo until the 83rd minute
Hoffenheim – Union Berlin 0:1 (0:0)
Tor: Aaronson (84.)
Hoffenheim: Grillitsch played through
Union: Trimmel played through
Yellow-red cards: N’Soki (45th+3/Hoffenheim), Volland (45th+6/Union)
Leipzig – Mönchengladbach 2:0 (1:0)
Tore: Simons (14.), Openda (58.)
Leipzig: Schlager played through, Seiwald from the 67th minute, Baumgartner from the 78th minute
Gladbach: Wöber until the 59th minute, Lainer from the 59th minute
Freitag:
Cologne – Bremen 0:1 (0:0)
Tor: Njinmah (70.)
Cologne: Kainz and Ljubicic played through
Bremen: Friedl played through, Schmid until the 83rd minute
