Much on line for Tuchel as Bayern welcome Lazio

Berlin, March 4

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A whole season is on the line for Bayern Munich against Lazio in the Champions League tomorrow.

1The Bavarians are far from their best, having managed only one win in their last five games across all competitions

It will likely be Thomas Tuchel’s last game as Bayern coach unless his team can overturn a one-goal deficit after losing the first leg of the last-16 tie 1-0 in Rome on February 14.

That was the second game in a three-game run of defeats that ultimately led Bayern to announce Tuchel will leave at the end of the season.

Already knocked out of the German Cup and 10 points behind unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Bayern’s best hope of a trophy this season hinges on getting past Lazio to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.

If Bayern fail to make it, the club’s powerbrokers will see little reason to stick with Tuchel for the last 10 games of the season when keeping him in charge would arguably do more harm than good.

Tuchel’s frequent criticism of the players has sowed discontent in the team. New sporting director Max Eberl will want to finish the campaign as well as possible before a summer shake-up and next season’s bid to regain domestic dominance.

Few believe that Leverkusen — a team that has strung together a German record 34-game unbeaten run across all competitions — will collapse in the last 10 rounds of the Bundesliga. Xabi Alonso’s side has shown a mental strength and confidence that is lacking in the Bayern team.

“I think the situation for us is very clear but for a top performance there needs to be a certain pressure,” Tuchel said. “Our most recent results, including the first leg loss in Italy, mean that this won’t feel super-easy tomorrow. Pressure is necessary. It will be there tomorrow.” — Agencies