Football

Bayern suffer shock home loss to Werder to drop seven points behind

January 22, 2024 5:00 am

[Source: Reuters]

Bayern Munich slumped to a 1-0 home loss to Werder Bremen on Sunday after a Mitchell Weiser goal to stay seven points adrift of leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race.

It was Werder’s first victory in Munich since 2008 and the champions’ second league loss of the campaign.

Bayern have now failed to score in a home league game for the first time since February 2020, ending a run of 65 consecutive home games with at least one goal.

Article continues after advertisement

The result leaves them on 41 points in second place with a game in hand. Leverkusen are on 48 following their last-gasp 3-2 win over RB Leipzig on Saturday. VfB Stuttgart are in third place on 34, while Werder is 12th with 20 points.

The hosts, who face Union Berlin in their postponed league game on Wednesday, looked far from fresh following a short training camp in Portugal earlier this week.

“It was a deserved win for Werder,” said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel. “For 70 minutes we did not play as a team that wants to win, to battle for the title.”

“We only did it for 20 minutes. We allowed too many counterattacks, we allowed too much space, and we were sloppy. For us, it is a big setback and we need to make it better on Wednesday (against Union),” he said.

“This is not enough to reach our goals. When you sign for Bayern you sign for 100%. That’s true for the players and the coach and we did not deliver that today.”

Bayern had possession but struggled throughout to break down a disciplined Werder backline.

The visitors also put the ball in the net with a quick 25th-minute break only for Justin Njinmah’s effort to be disallowed for a foul at the start of the move.

Former Bayern player Weiser, however, did open the scoring in the 59th minute, charging into the box, then shaking off Alphonso Davies and firing an unstoppable shot past keeper Manuel Neuer.

The hosts then poured forward but had no clear plan with top scorer Harry Kane missing the target with a close-range header in the 72nd.

Werder keeper Michael Zetterer then palmed a Leroy Sane shot wide in the 79th before tipping the ball away from Kane’s head a little later.

Bayern substitutes Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting and Mathys Tel also had their share of chances but Zetterer stood firm as the visitors held on to secure the win.