MUNICH: Under-fire Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac is staring down the barrel as his team look to bag a place in the Champions League last 16 just as their domestic title bid appears to be crumbling.
The Bundesliga champions need just a point against Benfica in the Allianz Arena on Tuesday to qualify for the competition’s knockout stages, but as they gun for their seventh straight league title their form has collapsed.
Pressure on Kovac intensified following the weekend’s shock 3-3 home draw with lowly Fortuna Dusseldorf, which left them nine points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, but the Croat says he will not back down from the battle in his first season in charge.
“Those who know me know I’m a fighter ... the words ‘give up’ and ‘raise the white flag’ aren’t in my vocabulary,” Kovac said.
“I will always look forward and always fight.”
Kovac’s position became more precarious when livid Bayern chief Uli Hoeness said after the draw with Fortuna that the club would undertake “an analysis” after the Benfica clash.
Hoeness blasted his players’ performances as “unacceptable” after they threw away a two-goal lead and conceded a stoppage-time equalizer from hat-trick hero Dodi Lukebakio.
“The problem isn’t that we have no ideas, it’s more about how we put our ideas into practice,” said Kovac.
“Manuel Neuer said after the match (against Fortuna): ‘if we had put into practice what the coach asked us, we would have won’.”
The draw means that Bayern have only one twice in eight Bundesliga matches, a run that stretches back to late September. In contrast, they are unbeaten in their Champions League Group E campaign.
A win on Tuesday could see Bayern ensure top spot in the group, although Ajax are traveling to AEK Athens, who have conceded 10 goals on their way to losing all four of their matches.
Kovac’s work has been made harder by a raft of injuries, with Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman, Thiago, James Rodriguez and Serge Gnabry all out of action, but nonetheless his team is close to qualifying for the last 16 of Europe’s top club competition with a game to spare.
“We cannot throw everything overboard, it does not work that way,” Kovac said.
“I hope that tomorrow, in the Champions League, the boys will give their all, and I am convinced of it.”
Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac in need of a Champions League lift
Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac in need of a Champions League lift
Southampton’s stunning fightback leaves Leicester in turmoil
LONDON: Southampton made an incredible late comeback from three goals down to beat crisis club Leicester 4-3 in the Championship on Tuesday.
Leicester interim manager Andy King looked set for his first victory since taking charge after first-half goals from Divine Mukasa, Patson Daka and Abdul Fatawu at the King Power Stadium.
But Southampton substitute Ross Stewart reduced the deficit in the 61st minute to spark the astonishing revival.
Leicester’s brittle confidence was exposed as Jack Stephens netted in the 82nd minute and Ryan Manning equalized five minutes later.
Shea Charles struck six minutes into stoppage time to snatch the points for Southampton in dramatic fashion, leaving King’s shell-shocked side without a win in six games.
Seven years after thrashing Southampton 9-0 at St. Mary’s, Leicester hit a devastating low of their own against the Saints.
Still searching for a permanent manager following Marti Cifuentes’ sacking, Leicester are outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.
The Foxes were recently deducted six points by the Football League for breaches of financial regulations.
Birmingham missed the chance to move into the play-off places after they were held to a 0-0 draw by West Bromwich Albion at St. Andrew’s.
New West Brom boss Eric Ramsay remains winless but claimed a second successive draw to help his side move two points above the relegation zone.
Mohamed Toure hit a hat-trick as Norwich made it five wins from their last six matches with a 3-0 victory at second-bottom Oxford.
