Bayern Munich suffers shock defeat against Bochum to boost Leverkusen title dreams
Bayern Munich faced a surprising setback on Sunday, succumbing to a 3-2 loss against Bochum, marking their third consecutive defeat.
This defeat leaves the reigning German Bundesliga champions trailing eight points behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race, affording Xabi Alonso’s men extra-room to dream.
The defeat follows a 3-0 loss to Leverkusen in the league last weekend and a 1-0 setback against Lazio in the Champions League, intensifying the pressure on coach Thomas Tuchel.
Adding to Bayern’s woes, they were reduced to 10 men with 13 minutes remaining when Dayot Upamecano was shown a red card for elbowing Kevin Stoeger in the box. Stoeger capitalized on the penalty opportunity, blasting it past Manuel Neuer to give Bochum a 3-1 lead.
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Despite Harry Kane’s late goal for Bayern, which brought them back into contention, the team missed out on a chance to equalize when Kane directed a tame header straight at Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann.
The match started promisingly for Bayern, with Jamal Musiala scoring after 14 minutes, breaking the team’s goal drought of over three hours.
However, Bochum quickly responded with Takuma Asano leveling the score and Keven Schlotterbeck giving the home side the lead before halftime.
In the second half, Bayern pressed hard, but the match was interrupted for 12 minutes due to fan protests against the Bundesliga’s investment plan.
Despite their efforts, Bayern couldn’t find the breakthrough, and Upamecano’s red card further complicated their situation.
Despite a late surge led by Mathys Tel and Kane’s goal, Bayern couldn’t salvage a point, leaving them stunned by Bochum’s resilient performance.
