Defeat, a red card and another night of frustration. The pressure on Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is growing and Harry Kane’s best chance of a trophy is in danger of disappearing.
Bayern should have beaten Lazio comfortably in the first leg of this last-16 tie but Kane, among others, was guilty of squandering chance after chance before Ciro Immobile’s 69th-minute penalty gave the Italians victory.
Dayot Upamecano, who brought down Gustav Isaksen for the penalty, was sent off and will miss the second leg in Munich.
Tuchel’s team had sixteen shots, but none found the target. Leaving Europe at this stage would be unthinkable for the Germans, but they are now halfway through it all.
Bayern came into this Champions League match after a 3-0 defeat to Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen last weekend. The defeat left Bayern, who have won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles, in second place, five points behind their rivals.
Ciro Immobile scored a penalty to help Lazio to a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich
Bayern had 16 shots but failed to find the net and it was a frustrating evening for Harry Kane
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So a trip to Rome offered the chance for some respite. Lazio, managed by former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, advanced to the last 16 after finishing second in their group behind Atletico Madrid. Sarri led the Serie A side to a second-place finish last season but has had a tougher campaign this season, with his team currently sitting eighth.
Bayern should have taken the lead several times, but saw chance after chance in the first half. Joshua Kimmich fired a shot wide from the penalty area in the second minute. Then it was Kane’s turn to miss the target. The striker was picked out in the penalty area by Thomas Müller, but lost his balance and sent a wayward effort over the crossbar from seven yards out.
Lazio came closest to an opener in the first half when Luis Alberto fired a long-range shot over the crossbar. But it was Bayern that created the best chances. The German side came close again when a well-executed free-kick led to Leroy Sane firing a shot inches wide of the left post. Another big chance came just before the half-time whistle when Jamal Musiala danced his way through the penalty area before lifting his shot over the crossbar.
Despite all their chances, Bayern failed to test Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. The last time there was no shot on target in the first half of a European match was against Manchester City last April.
Lazio were better in the second half and should have opened the scoring at the start of the second half when Isaksen was passed through by Alberto. The striker found himself in a 1-on-1 situation with Manuel Neuer, but his hard ball went wide, allowing the goalkeeper to narrow the angle and make an important save.
The pressure on Thomas Tuchel is increasing, especially given the 3-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkuen
The Italians had grown into the match and were awarded a penalty with 21 minutes to play after a moment of madness from Upamecano. Immobile dribbled his way through Bayern’s defense before passing the ball to Isaksen. His shot went wide, but the attacker was caught by the Upamecano’s studs after the ball had gone. Referee Francois Letexier pointed to the spot and waved a red card as he deemed the defender had used excessive force in his challenge.
Sarri couldn’t watch but he needn’t have worried as Immobile stepped forward and eased into the bottom right corner. Tuchel, who sat in the dugout with his head in his hands, probably wished he too had chosen not to watch.
