- Bayern Munich lost 3-0 to Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals
- The result left the team in turmoil ahead of the second leg and the players felt it
- A disagreement between Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane ended with Mane punching Mane in the face
Bayern Munich suffered a 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League but that was not enough, there are reports that Sadio Mane left teammate Leroy Sane with a cut lip during a dressing-room brawl.
The result in Manchester on Tuesday has left Bayern with a long way to go in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
Their prospects appear gloomy, but the on-field struggle may only be the beginning of their issues.
Bayern has yet to respond to the allegations that surfaced on Wednesday, with the German daily Bild stating Mane responded angrily to Sane’s comments and lashed out, punching his teammate.
READ: Sadio Mane allegedly hit Leroy Sane after Bayern’s loss to City
There may also be disquiet among Bayern’s ranks over how information about the behind-closed-doors incident spilt into the public.
Bayern Munich forwards Sadio Mane (left) and Leroy Sane were pictured arguing on the pitch during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg at Etihad Stadium. | PHOTO: Sky Sports |
The drama was something new head coach Thomas Tuchel could have done without, not least because Mane has already struggled to live up to his star status since joining from Liverpool.
The Senegalese forward, who joined Bayern Munich for an initial €32 million last June, is only sixth on the club’s goal involvement list this season, with 11 goals and five assists in 32 appearances.
Midfielder Jamal Musiala leads the way with 27 appearances (15 goals, 12 assists), and Sane (13 goals, seven assists) is also ahead of Mane.
Bayern Munich will have to confront the apparent clash between Mane and Sane at some point, which may be on Thursday.
If it does not, Tuchel will conduct a press conference on Friday ahead of the home Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim.
The former Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea manager has had a difficult time since taking over for the dismissed Julian Nagelsmann.
His reign began with a sparkling league win against title rivals Dortmund, but a DFB-Pokal exit followed at the hands of Freiburg, and now hopes of European glory are hanging by a fraying thread.
Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn reacted on Wednesday to the team’s bad result at the Etihad Stadium, saying on Twitter: “Even the day after we are still bitterly disappointed. We imagined it differently. But there is still a second leg and I’ve experienced a lot in football myself.”
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