Thomas Tuchel faces imminent dismissal as Bayern Munich endures their third defeat in eight days, crippling their title aspirations. Bochum, positioned in the lower half of the Bundesliga, secured a 3-2 victory over the reigning champions amidst fan protests halting the game twice, opposing the sale of a future league stake to a private equity investor.
In both halves, the referee paused the game due to spectators hurling tennis balls onto the pitch, adding to a series of protests in German football over the weekend. Despite the interruption, Bayern failed to secure victory, falling eight points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen. Jamal Musiala’s initial goal was nullified by two first-half strikes from Bochum’s Takuma Asano and Keven Schlotterbeck. The momentum shifted after Harry Kane squandered a prime opportunity to extend Bayern’s lead to 2-0, blazing his one-on-one chance over the crossbar.
Kevin Stoger extended the lead to 3-1 from the penalty spot in the 78th minute, with Dayot Upamecano receiving a red card, marking his second dismissal in just four days following Bayern’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio. Despite Kane’s late goal for Bayern, it only served as a consolation as they slipped further behind Leverkusen in their pursuit of a 12th consecutive Bundesliga title. Attention now shifts to the future of former Chelsea manager Tuchel, aged 50. Bayern’s woes continued with a 3-0 defeat against Leverkusen last weekend, followed by a 1-0 loss to Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter on Wednesday.