Bayern Munich lost their third consecutive game on Sunday. The 3-2 disappointment in Bochum marked Die Roten's first run of three defeats in a row since May 2015. In a game with ebbs and flows, Bayern once again looked like a team without a clear identity. Let us look at key events from Sunday that shaped the outcome of the game in Bochum.
Musiala immune to nervous start
Bayern looked shaky from the kick-off. The match started at a brisk pace with the host team looking to take it to the fragile visitors. After nervous opening spell, Jamal Musiala stepped up for the visitors.
At the 14-minute mark, Musiala displayed some fancy footwork to cut in from the right flank before drawing a reflex save from Bochum’s goalkeeper. In the same passage of play, Musiala blasted a right-footed rocket into the roof of the net to open the scoring after the ball was recycled to him by Leon Goretzka.
After the opening goal, Rekordmeister’s game was on the ascendency with Musiala leading the charge. Five minutes later, the young German international managed to beat Bochum's defense with a brilliant pass to put Harry Kane clean through for what seemed destined to be Bayern’s second goal. The English forward couldn't provide the finishing touch to the brilliant pass from Musiala.
Kane makes rare mistake
Unfortunately for Bayern, Kane couldn’t deliver the finishing touch after being delightfully played through by Musiala. Uncharacteristically, the English striker skied the ball high and wide with only the keeper to beat. Upon closer look, the shot was the wrong choice as Thomas Muller was open to Kane’s right, ready to receive a simple pass and steer the ball into an open net. After failing to register a shot on goal in either of Bayern’s previous two matches, Kane looked too eager to get on the scoresheet against Bochum.
That piece of poor decision-making from Kane was a crucial turning point in the match. At 2-0 after 20 minutes, Bayern would have been well poised to come away with the desired victory. That is not to say that Kane is to be blamed for Die Roten’s unsatisfactory performances over the last three games.
Break in Bayern's momentum due to protest from fans
Soon after Kane’s miss, home fans decided to throw tennis balls onto the pitch as a mark of protest against the Bundesliga's controversial plan to sell a stake in the media rights income to an outside investor. The symbolic gesture from fans halted the game for ten minutes. The break in the game came at the worst time for the visitors. It killed Bayern’s momentum in the game. The home side successfully regrouped during the break and scored two goals before half-time.
Fans had thrown tennis balls again nine minutes into the second half resulting in another delay. Soon after the resumption of play from the delay, the hosts made it 3-1.
Another red card from Dayot Upamecano
During the first half, before Bochum made it 1-1, Bayern’s starting right-back, Noussair Mazraoui, succumbed to injury and had to be replaced by Dayot Upamecano in the 33rd minute.
Along with lacking complete fitness due to a recent injury, Upamecano was also possibly dealing with mental anguish from the midweek defeat against Lazio. The French defender had been the target of racial abuse on social media by a section of the fanbase after his red card against Lazio. In a perfect world, he would have been given a break to fully recover from his physical and emotional wounds.
Despite the final 3-2 scoreline, the match was effectively over as a contest in the 77th minute when Upamecano was given marching orders following his second yellow card of the night. Kevin Stoger converted the ensuing penalty to seal the win for the hosts.
Aftermath
Joshua Kimmich was seen holding back the tears when he was substituted just after the hour mark. Following the final whistle, he reportedly got into an altercation with Thomas Tuchel’s assistant-Zsolt Low. His team-mates had to step in to separate the pair.
Following this third loss in succession, Bayern’s top brass are reportedly still sticking with Tuchel in the hopes of turning things around for what that’s worth. The encounter against RB Leipzig on Saturday becomes a must-win game for Tuchel.