Italian side Lazio recorded a famous win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last 16 tie thanks to a Ciro Immobile penalty.
This was Bayern’s second defeat in five days, having been thrashed by Bundesliga title rivals Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 just days ago.
In a game of few chances against Lazio, the German side failed to record at least one shot on goal in a competitive match since February 2019, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Harry Kane, who is Bayern’s top scorer this season blazed over their best first-half opportunity early on before Manuel Neuer made a spreading stop to deny Isaksen early in the second period.
In the 67th minute, Dayot Upamecano caught Isaksen late in the box with a studs-up challenge following a Lazio counter-attack. This led to Upamecano’s dismissal as Immobile stepped up and sent Neuer the wrong way to dispatch the penalty.
Lazio, making just their third appearance in the Champions League last 16, now take an advantage into the second leg in Munich on 5 March as they aim to eliminate the six-time winners. Bayern will have to perform much better if they are to progress.
Tuchel’s job under threat?
Tomas Tuchel came into Bayern Munich’s team late last season after the club dismissed Julian Nagelsmann. Despite some stutters, Tuchel was able to steer the Bavarians to an 11th consecutive league title. The fans were now hoping for an assault at Europe’s top prize this season, but it has been an uninspiring campaign so far.
An exit in the German Cup at the hands of third-tier Saarbrucken was a seismic shock. This was followed by some upturn in form where Bayern continued to grind results before being halted by Leverkusen’s juggernaut last week. That defeat meant Bayern are now five points off the top spot.
Adding to the misery is this defeat in Rome that will raise questions about Tuchel’s ability to lead Bayern out of this crisis. Bayern have been known to be ruthless when it comes to their approach to managers in recent seasons.
For now, Lazio, seventh in Serie A, can revel in the glory of first Champions League knockout win over the German giants.
Sherjeel Malik is the editor at FanHaat with a writing experience in multiple sports. He oversees the editorial and content coverage at FanHaat and writes often around combat sports, football and other marquee sports. A professional highlight of his career was when WWE’s Paul Heyman shared one of his articles on his social media.
Apart from writing, editing and watching sports, he likes to indulge in reading fiction, watching war documentaries and is a fan of Liverpool FC
