Despite England captain Harry Kane’s late goal at Bochum, Bayern Munich faced their third defeat in nine days, marking a challenging period for Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
The match saw Bayern taking an initial lead with Jamal Musiala’s goal, but subsequent protests from fans led to two stoppages.
Bochum seized the opportunity to turn the game in their favor, scoring twice with goals from Takuma Asano and Keven Schlotterbeck.
Kevin Stoger’s penalty further extended Bochum’s lead to 3-1 after Dayot Upamecano received a red card.
Despite Kane’s 25th league goal of the season, it proved insufficient for Bayern to mount a comeback.
Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the difficulty of winning the Bundesliga title, stating it does not appear very realistic at this point.
However, he emphasized the team’s commitment to keep working towards their goals, drawing inspiration from the previous season when their persistence was rewarded.
Bayern Munich, traditionally dominant in German football, now finds themselves eight points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
The team, which has been German champions for the past 11 seasons, faces the prospect of ending the current campaign without securing any silverware.
This recent loss adds to Bayern’s challenging run, having previously lost in the German Super Cup and exited the German Cup in the second round to third-tier Saarbrucken.
The defeats against Leverkusen and Lazio in the Champions League further heightened the pressure on Tuchel and his team.
Tuchel, while acknowledging the pressure, highlighted the positive aspects of their performance in the Bochum match, emphasizing the importance of analyzing “how” the team played.
Despite this setback, he noted that the current situation differs from recent defeats, providing a nuanced perspective on Bayern’s recent struggles.
The defeat against Bochum marks the first time Bayern Munich has lost three consecutive matches since May 2015, under the management of Pep Guardiola.