Bayern Munich stunned by Lazio in Champions League upset

Bayern Munich, the reigning champions of Europe, suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat to Lazio in the first leg of their round of 16 tie in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night. The Italian side, who had not reached this stage of the competition since 2000, scored the only goal of the game through Ciro Immobile in the 68th minute, after Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off for a second yellow card.

The result was a huge blow for Bayern, who had dominated the group stage with six wins out of six, scoring 24 goals and conceding only five. The German giants, who had won the treble of Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League last season, were expected to cruise past Lazio, who had finished second in their group behind Borussia Dortmund.

However, Lazio, coached by former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, showed great resilience and determination to frustrate Bayern, who struggled to create clear chances despite having 62% of possession. Lazio goalkeeper Alessandro Provedel made some crucial saves, while Immobile, the top scorer in Serie A last season, proved to be a constant threat with his pace and movement.

The decisive moment

The decisive moment came in the 66th minute, when Upamecano, who had been booked in the first half for a foul on Immobile, received his marching orders for a reckless challenge on Lucas Leiva. Two minutes later, Lazio capitalized on their numerical advantage, as Immobile latched onto a through ball from Luis Alberto and slotted it past Manuel Neuer.

Bayern tried to respond, but found no way past the solid Lazio defense, who held on for a historic win. The final whistle sparked wild celebrations among the Lazio players and fans, who had witnessed their team's first ever victory over Bayern in European competitions.

The second leg will take place at the Allianz Arena in Munich on March 5, where Bayern will need to score at least two goals to have any chance of progressing to the quarter-finals. Lazio, meanwhile, will hope to repeat their heroics and pull off one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history.

Man of The Match

According to the UEFA website, the man of the match for the Lazio vs Bayern Munich game was Ciro Immobile, who scored the winning goal from the penalty spot and had a 100% pass completion rate. He also received the highest rating of 8.3 from Sky Sports, who praised his “clinical finish and tireless work rate”. Immobile is the top scorer in Serie A this season with 18 goals in 21 games.