Surprising Bayern Defeat Against Bochum After Comeback and Red Card

Surprising Bayern Defeat Against Bochum After Comeback and Red Card

Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany opted for a nearly complete squad rotation in a match played between their two Champions League Round of 16 clashes against Bayer Leverkusen. From the lineup that secured a 3-0 win over Xabi Alonso’s team on Wednesday, only Leon Goretzka remained.

Modest VfL Bochum pulled off the upset of the Bundesliga matchday by defeating Bayern Munich 2-3, coming back from a 2-0 deficit in a game marked by the second-half expulsion of João Palhinha, which left the Bavarians with ten men.

Kompany's Radical Rotation and a Fearless Bochum

The goalkeeper change was expected due to Manuel Neuer’s injury, allowing Jonas Urbig to start. However, Kompany went even further, benching key players like Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, and Harry Kane.

At first, it seemed like a routine evening for Bayern, who dominated the game and took the lead in the 14th minute with a left-footed strike from Raphaël Guerreiro inside the box. The play began with a pass from Hiroki Ito to Serge Gnabry, who went down after contact with a defender. The loose ball fell to Guerreiro, who reacted faster than the entire Bochum defense.

The Bavarians doubled their lead in the 28th minute with another goal from Guerreiro, this time a header. Earlier, in the 22nd minute, Gnabry had missed a penalty, striking the post.

However, Bochum responded, pulling one back in their first real opportunity with a goal from Erhan Mašović, who capitalized on a rebound from a corner kick. Then, in the 42nd minute, the match took a dramatic turn when João Palhinha was sent off for a reckless foul on Tasos Masouras.

Bayern Collapses in the Second Half

Despite having 80% possession in the first half, Bayern struggled against a more aggressive Bochum, who, now with a numerical advantage, switched to a more attacking approach.

In the 51st minute, Moussa Sissoko equalized with a header, and Bayern started to falter. Although they had a clear chance through Guerreiro in the 58th minute, Bochum sensed an opportunity and completed the comeback in the 70th minute with a goal from Matúš Bero.

The Bavarians pushed for an equalizer with efforts from Jamal Musiala and Konrad Laimer, but Timo Horn made two crucial saves to secure a historic victory for Bochum, handing Bayern their first home defeat of the Bundesliga season.

Match Summary:

Bayern Munich (2): Urbig; Boey (Laimer, 62’), Stanisic, Dier, Ito (Kimmich, 76’); Goretzka, João Palhinha; Sané (Olise, 62’), Guerreiro, Gnabry (Musiala, 62’); Müller (Kane, 62’).

VfL Bochum (3): Horn; Oermann, Medic, Bernardo; Passlack (Gamboa, 82’), Sissoko, Wittek (Masovic, 88’); Bero (Losilla, 88’), Krauss; Hofmann, Masouras (Broschinski, 73’).