Kane pain as Bayern fall to shock defeat
DEFEAT, a red card and another night of frustration. The pressure is growing on Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel and Harry Kane’s best chance of a trophy may be slipping away.
Bayern should have beaten Lazio comfortably in the first leg of this last 16 tie but Kane, among others, was guilty of wasting chance after chance before Ciro Immobile’s 69th-minute penalty gave the Italians victory.
Dayot Upamecano, who brought down Gustav Isaksen for the spot-kick, was sent off and will miss the second leg in Munich.
Tuchel had his head in his hands, while Kane cut a frustrated figure for much of the night.
Tuchel’s side came into this tie following a 3-0 defeat by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen last weekend. That result left Bayern, who have won 11 straight Bundesliga titles, in second, five points behind Leverkusen.
While they are by no means out of the running for another league trophy, Leverkusen are unbeaten and Tuchel’s side can ill-afford any more slip-ups.
A European trip to Rome, then, offered the chance for some respite. Lazio, managed by former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, progressed to the last 16 after finishing second in their group behind Atletico Madrid. Sarri led the Serie A side to a second-placed finish last season but has endured a tougher campaign this term, with his team currently seventh.
Bayern should have taken the lead on multiple occasions in the first half. Joshua Kimmich sliced a shot wide from inside the box in just the second minute. Then it was Kane’s turn to miss the target, sending an effort over the bar from seven yards out.
The Germans went close again when a well-worked free-kick resulted in Leroy Sane firing a shot inches wide of the left post, before Jamal Musiala lifted a shot over the bar after dancing into the box. For all their chances, Bayern failed to test Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. The last time they failed to have a shot on target in the first half of a European game was against Manchester City last April. In the end, they didn’t manage one all game.
Lazio should have opened the scoring at the start of the second half when Isaksen found himself one-on-one with Manuel Neuer but his heavy touch took him wide, allowing the goalkeeper to make a save.
Lazio had grown into the game and, with 20 minutes to go, were awarded a penalty after a moment of madness from Upamecano.
Immobile had laid the ball off to Isaksen. His shot flew wide but the forward was caught heavily by Upamecano’s studs after the ball had gone. Referee Francois Letexier pointed to the spot and, deeming Upamecano had used excessive force, showed a red card to the Bayern man.
Sarri could not watch as Immobile stepped up, but he need not have worried, as the forward converted calmly into the bottom-right corner.
KYLIAN MBAPPE sent Paris Saint-Germain on their way to a 2-0 victory in the home leg of their last-16 tie with Real Sociedad. PSG laboured in the first half but sparked into life after the break, Mbappe tapping home at a corner before Bradley Barcola added a second, the 21-year-old’s first Champions League goal.