Tuchel: 'Bayern lost, Lazio didn't win'

Italy coach Thomas Tuchel could not explain why Bayern Munich lost 0-1 to Lazio in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.

"We did everything we could to lose this match," Tuchel said in a press conference after the match on the evening of February 14. "We could have won, but at times we lost confidence. The players also made too many individual mistakes. Bayern lost on their own, but I'm not sure Lazio deserved to win."

Coach Thomas Tuchel was disappointed when Bayern lost 0-1 to Lazio at the Olympico Stadium, Rome, Italy, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on the evening of February 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters — Coach Thomas Tuchel was disappointed when Bayern lost 0-1 to Lazio at the Olympico Stadium, Rome, Italy, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on the evening of February 14, 2024. Photo: *Reuters*

When asked why Bayern lost the match, Tuchel added: "I can't explain, because during the break, I asked the players to keep the intensity of the game, and be more brave when attacking. But they played like they lost face in the second half."

The turning point of the match came in the 67th minute when defender Dayot Upamecano stepped on midfielder Gustav Isaksen's ankle and received a straight red card, while Bayern were awarded a penalty. Ciro Immobile scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot, but the visitors were unable to turn the game around due to a lack of players. Tuchel said the penalty was a "strange" decision, as Isaksen only kicked Upamecano's foot after he had taken the shot.

Bayern have lost two season-defining games in a matter of days. On February 10, they lost heavily to Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen. This time, they lost to Lazio for the first time in their history, which has a big impact on their chances of progressing in the Champions League.

The two defeats have left Tuchel's future in doubt. But when asked if he was worried about that, the German coach replied: "No."

Bayern were the first team to have 17 shots in a game without a shot on target since Opta began tracking the stat 20 years ago. They squandered several chances in the first half, notably Jamal Musiala's close-range shot in the 40th minute that went over the bar. Having been reduced to a man down, Bayern failed to create any more notable chances.

Tuchel has been in charge of Bayern since March 2023, replacing Julian Nagelsmann. They won the Bundesliga last season, after Dortmund stumbled in the final round. This season, Bayern are five points behind Leverkusen, in danger of ending their 11-year Bundesliga title streak.

Hoang An

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