BERLIN: Bayern Munich could be as many as eight points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen when they travel to Bochum on Sunday after one of the club鈥檚 worst weeks in recent memory.
Bayern were outclassed in Saturday鈥檚 3-0 loss in Leverkusen, before losing 1-0 to Lazio on Wednesday 鈥� their first defeat in an opening leg in the Champions League last 16 since 2012.
Speaking afterwards in Rome on Wednesday, England captain Harry Kane said 鈥渨e鈥檙e in a difficult spell, there鈥檚 no hiding that.鈥�
A 鈥渇rustrated and angry鈥� Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said he was 鈥渁t a loss鈥� to explain the 鈥渉uge drop in performance鈥� in the second-half.
For Bayern fans, the statistics make for sorry reading. Famed for reacting when stung by a poor result, Bayern lost twice in a row for the first time since January 2021.
The German champions were last held scoreless twice in succession in 2015. Against Lazio, Bayern failed to register a shot on goal for the first time since 2019鈥檚 0-0 home Champions League draw with Liverpool.
Bayern have thrashed Bochum 7-0 in three of their past five meetings, but their bid to avoid three straight losses for the first time since 2015 is not as simple as it appears.
Despite sitting in 14th, Bochum have been hard to beat, losing just once at home this season.
Bochum have lost seven times all season, a better record than every team outside the top six, while they have a league-high 10 draws.
With Bayern eliminated from the German Cup by third-tier Saarbruecken, the perennial German champions are staring down a trophyless season for the first time since 2012.
Yet to win a team trophy despite a glittering career, Kane called on his side to put the 鈥渞eally tough week鈥� behind them and 鈥渇ocus on the next challenge.鈥�
鈥�(There are) big things to fight for still. We鈥檙e not out of it. We will never give up.
鈥淥ne game or one spark can change a lot in football and we need to try and find that...
鈥淲e鈥檒l push each other in training and on the weekend and try and find it.鈥�
Leverkusen play away at promoted Heidenheim on Saturday 鈥� another task less straightforward than it may seem.
Sitting ninth, Heidenheim have had a strong top-flight debut campaign, thanks largely to an excellent home record.
Heidenheim have claimed 18 of their 27 points at the 15,000-capacity Voith Arena, losing just twice all year.
Leverkusen dropping points in Heidenheim could give Bayern a sniff of a chance, which is usually all the 33-time German champions need.
Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller returned to Germany on Thursday having won the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast.
Few footballers have endured a more difficult time than Haller over the past 18 months.
Arriving on a big-money deal from Ajax in the summer of 2022, Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer and spent six months on the sidelines as he battled the illness.
He returned and played a key role as Dortmund pushed for the title, but missed a penalty in their final-day draw with Mainz, which meant Bayern were champions again.
Haller scored the winners in the semifinal and final as hosts Ivory Coast won the tournament for the third time.
鈥淲e know how long his path back to the top was鈥� Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said Thursday, calling Haller a 鈥渃elebrated hero.鈥�
鈥淎lthough things didn鈥檛 go well, he stayed positive and was rewarded.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really happy that he鈥檚 back and we hope he鈥檒l bring the momentum from the tournament with him.鈥�