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Bayern Munich have shown their support for defender Dayot Upamecano after he received racist abuse in the aftermath of their 1-0 defeat to Lazio. The German outfit fell short in their UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 first-leg tie after Upamecano gave away a penalty and got sent off.
Bayer Leverkusen trounced Bayern Munich by three unreplied goals in Bundesliga at the weekend, and the German champions hoped to bounce back to winning ways in the Champions League. They were, however, given a rude shock by Maurizio Sarri and his Lazio team at the Stadio Olimpico, losing the game 1-0.
Thomas Tuchel's side looked sterile for large periods of the encounter, failing to register a single attempt on target in the game. They were beaten in the second half by a Ciro Immobile penalty following an infringement from Upamecano.
Lazio forward Gustav Isaksen was upended in the Bayern box by Dayot Upamecano, whose tackle was deemed to have been dangerous, as well. This resulted in a penalty being awarded, and a red card was shown to the Frenchman for the foul.
With ten men on the pitch for the final 20 minutes of the tie, Bayern failed to break down the Lazio defence and succumbed to a second successive defeat. The club released a statement immediately after the match criticizing some fans for racially abusing Upamecano for his role in the defeat.
"FC Bayern strongly condemn the racist comments being directed towards Dayot Upamecano on social media. Anyone who comments hateful words such as these is no fan of our club. We’re all behind you, Upa!
The German champions well off their normal selves in this game as well. They will have a battle on their hands in the second leg of the tie next month.
Bayern Munich lose impressive record in Lazio defeat
Before this week, Bayern Munich had not lost the first leg of a UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 tie for 11 years. They also failed to record a single shot on target in a match for the first time in five years, compounding their woeful evening in Rome.
The pressure is mounting on manager Tuchel, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, to get his act together. The club are reportedly looking into alternative targets to take over the management of the team ahead of the start of next season.
Tuchel's Bayern Munich have been knocked out of the DFB-Pokal this season, and they sit in second place in Bundesliga, five points behind Bayer Leverkusen. They will be keen to avoid a trophyless season, and the Champions League may be their only hope of winning a trophy.
