The defeat against VfL Bochum deepens the crisis of FC Bayern Munich. However, for Thomas Tuchel, the 2-3 loss in the Ruhr area is to be evaluated entirely differently than the games in Leverkusen and Rome – because of his team’s respectable xG stat?!One thing was very important for Tuchel to emphasize at the end: “If we play the same game again, we have a high probability of winning it,” said Bayern’s head coach towards the end of his post-match interview, which he had already started by referring to the expected goals (xG) value of 3.4. He was disappointed, of course, but with the result, not like the last time with the performance of individual players. “The how is crucial. The manner in which we played was okay today. It was extremely unfortunate.” Tuchel is all but gone: Bayern lose in Bochum!Tuchel evaluated the 2-3 defeat in Bochum, which he did not want to put in line with the setbacks in Leverkusen (0-3) and Rome (0-1). Whenever a coach starts defending his team’s failures by citing xG stats, you know his days are numbered. It’s happened before and almost always proved the last resort. Bayern beat Bochum three times in the last three games, with a combined goal difference of 17-0. But on Sunday, they didn’t look like a title challenger, far from it. The last straw was Tuchel’s failure to appear at the official press conference in the wake of another defeat. It was extremely unprofessional and is a testament to his diminished courage. It’s easy to smile at cameras when you’re winning, but only true leaders stand up and face the world when things are going downhill. Tuchel is apparently not one of those greats.Unlike Leon Goretzka, who compared the misery of the last few weeks to an “endless horror movie”, Tuchel had noticed many positive things, especially considering the conditions and the opponent, to whom one must also show respect. “It was extremely unfortunate,” said Tuchel. “We had four, five, six clear chances. We fell behind out of nowhere but never stopped” – even and especially when down to ten men.🚨Thomas Tuchel: “The defeat was not fair today, a lot went against us”.‼️“We had an xG value of 3.4 and we had four, five, six top-class chances. We completely dominated the game and actually went behind out of nowhere.” pic.twitter.com/KXqSG12I7o— Bitlinah (@Bitlinah) February 18, 2024 Tuchel’s team fell into this situation because Dayot Upamecano, just a few days after his dismissal in the Champions League, was sent off against Bochum as well. This time, the Frenchman saw two yellows because he caught Keven Schlotterbeck with his elbow during an aerial duel. The former Chelsea and PSG coach found the decision harsh.”It wasn’t a punch. It’s a jumping movement. Dayot just spread his arms while jumping.”It was one of the many small building blocks that ultimately sealed Bayern’s third competitive defeat – just like the numerous high-quality chances that Bayern wasted until injury time. “We never stopped, never stopped believing.” ##NAJAVA_MECA_7881165##Tuchel remains in his post, but there is still time for him to be sacked before the next competitive game – against RB Leipzig. He made it clear that he is still Bayern’s coach. However, the much-maligned tactician did not receive public backing immediately after the game in Bochum. None of the executives were willing to comment in front of TV cameras. Perhaps it happened because the Munich entourage was hurrying to leave the Ruhrstadion. The return flight took place in the evening, so Tuchel was not available for the usually obligatory press conference – at least, that is the official explanation.However, he answered one more question on the sidelines in the interview. Will Bayern still be German champions with now eight points behind Leverkusen? “Right now, it’s not so realistic. But we believed until the end of last season and were rewarded. We must find our form.”
