ROME.- Four days after suffering a devastating defeat in the Bundesliga, the Bayern Munich deflated again when they succumbed 1-0 on their visit to Lazio in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Ciro Immobile scored Lazio’s solitary goal from a penalty after a foul that left Bayern with 10 men midway through the second half, after the German club wasted several chances to take the lead.
Coupled with the 3-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend, the setback in Europe puts Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel in even more trouble ahead of the second leg on March 5.
Six-time European champions, Bayern have qualified to the quarter-finals or further in 11 of their last 12 Champions League campaigns. The exception was the elimination in the round of 16 at the hands of Liverpool five years ago.
Lazio, seventh in Serie A, lost to Bayern in their only appearance in the round of 16 three years ago.
Disadvantage for Bayern Munich:
Bayern were left with 10 men from the 67th minute when their central defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off for a foul on Gustav Isaks. Captain Immobile took the penalty and made goalkeeper Manuel Neuer dive to the wrong side.
Immobile has scored Lazio’s last four goals in the European tournament and had just reached 200 goals in Serie A last weekend.
Bayern is considered one of the great teams in Europe and has remained one of the most consistent teams in the final stages of the main tournaments on the old continent in recent years.
FOUNTAIN: With information from AP
