VfL Bochum 3-2 Bayern Munich: Champions stunned by Bochum as wheels come off title defence

VfL Bochum compounded Bayern Munich's woes with a 3-2 victory over the Bavarian powerhouse in the Bundesliga - a significant departure from their last three encounters, where Bochum had let in 17 goals without finding the back of the net.

Thomas Tuchel’s team displayed signs of nervousness early on and appeared vulnerable in defense as Anthony Losilla missed a header over the crossbar. In contrast, Bochum remained strong at the back, making crucial interventions to prevent headers from Harry Kane and Matthijs de Ligt.

Bayern, on the other hand, were determined not to let Bochum equalize for long. They managed to break the deadlock after fifteen minutes when Jamal Musiala created enough space to score past Manuel Riemann.

Following a customary delay due to fan protests, Noussair Mazraoui was substituted for Dayot Upamecano before the game resumed. Despite this, Bochum seemed to benefit more from the break, as Musiala lost possession and Losilla set up Takuma Asano for a goal to level the score.

Remarkably, it took a mere six additional minutes for Die Unabsteigbaren to seize the advantage, with Keven Schlotterbeck effortlessly rising to head home from Kevin Stoger's corner delivery.

Despite a staggering 14 minutes of added time, Bayern's closest chance at an equalizer before halftime came when Leon Goretzka's header hit the side netting.

This only heightened expectations of a defensive struggle for Bochum in the second half, and they continued to battle fiercely both before and after another interruption, with winger Christopher Antwi-Adjei displaying unwavering commitment in his defensive duties.

Leroy Sane was brought on just after the 60-minute mark as Bayern sought a way back into the game, but his powerful strike was blocked.

Instead of Bayern capitalizing on that opportunity, however, things took a turn for the worse for the visitors when Upamecano received his second consecutive red card. He was shown a second yellow for catching Schlotterbeck in the face inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty that Stoger converted despite Neuer managing to get a hand on it.

Kane later slotted the ball home after a fine display of teamwork from Mathys Tel, but his subsequent weak header was saved, contributing to Bayern's third consecutive defeat across all competitions for the first time since May 2015. This leaves them trailing Bayer Leverkusen by eight points.

Although they were predicted by many experts to face relegation this year, Bochum, now in 11th place, have remained undefeated in eight matches at the Ruhrstadion, a streak that dates back to November.