Bayern Munich have condemned the racist abuse directed at Dayot Upamecano following their Champions League defeat at Lazio on Wednesday.
France defender Upamecano was sent off in the 67th minute after conceding a penalty, which Ciro Immobile converted for Lazio’s 1-0 round of 16 first-leg win.
“FC Bayern strongly condemn the racist comments being directed towards Dayot Upamecano on social media,” the German champions said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Anyone who comments hateful words such as these is no fan of our club. We’re all behind you, Upa!”
Upamecano’s red card means the 25-year-old will miss the second leg in Munich on March 5.
Bayern’s defeat increased the pressure on former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen saw them fall five points behind Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga leaders.
Tuchel’s side also suffered a shock second-round German Cup exit to third division minnows Saarbrucken in November.
Ciro Immobile’s second-half penalty earned Lazio a shock 1-0 first-leg win over 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16.
Striker Immobile sent Manuel Neuer the wrong way from 12 yards in the 69th minute after Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off for a late challenge on Gustav Isaksen.
The Bundesliga side, who arrived in Rome on the back of a damaging 3-0 defeat to title rivals Bayer Leverkusen, dominated first-half possession but were unable to capitalise, with Harry Kane largely starved of service.
Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala each went close for the six-time European champions before Immobile’s spot-kick settled the contest to increase pressure on Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel.
Kylian Mbappe set Paris St Germain on course for a 2-0 success over Real Sociedad in Wednesday’s other tie.
The France star opened the scoring in the 58th minute at Parc des Princes by volleying home Marquinhos’ flick on following Ousmane Dembele’s right-wing corner.
Bradley Barcola secured breathing space for the Ligue 1 leaders ahead of the return match on March 5 with his first Champions League goal.
The 21-year-old forward burst past Hamari Traore on the PSG left before poking the ball beyond Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro with 20 minutes remaining.
Harry Kane made little impact as Bayern Munich’s week went from bad to worse following a shock 1-0 loss in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash with Lazio.
Ciro Immobile’s second-half penalty proved the difference at Stadio Olimpico to pile pressure on Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel on the back of a damaging 3-0 defeat at title rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
England captain Kane, who is one short of reaching 50 club goals in European competition, barely touched the ball during a tight battle between two former Chelsea managers in the Italian capital.
His side dominated possession before Maurizio Sarri’s men snatched a slender aggregate advantage when Immobile sent Manuel Neuer the wrong way from 12 yards in the 69th minute after Dayot Upamecano was dismissed for a late challenge on Gustav Isaksen.
Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala went closest for the German club, who have plenty to do in the return match at Allianz Arena on March 5.
Bayern arrived in Rome having fallen five points off the pace in the Bundesliga following Saturday’s emphatic loss at Leverkusen.
Under-fire boss Tuchel made three personnel changes in a bid to bounce back, including dropping Eric Dier and recalling Germany internationals Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Muller.
Kimmich curled wide in the opening exchanges before Kane could not keep a close-range effort down following Muller’s pull back, while Luis Alberto lashed over from distance for the side sitting seventh in Serie A.
Former Manchester City forward Sane went close when his 32nd-minute effort whistled past the left post after Leon Goretzka and Muller shifted the angle of a free-kick on the edge of the D.
Musiala then fired over following impressive build-up play as the away side failed to register an attempt on target before the break.
Bayern beat Lazio 6-2 on aggregate as reigning champions at the same stage of the tournament in 2020-21 and were heavy favourites to repeat that feat.
Yet, having been relatively untested defensively, the visitors nearly conceded within three minutes of the restart.
Danish forward Isaksen was sent clear on goal after Bayern centre-back Upamecano was dispossessed by former Liverpool man Alberto, only for his low effort to be repelled by the legs of Neuer.
The six-time European champions were struggling to regain the upper hand and felt aggrieved to fall behind 21 minutes from time during a pivotal moment in the match.
French referee Francois Letexier pointed to the spot and brandished a red card after Upamecano caught Isaksen with his studs inside the box.
Bayern were unhappy with the decision but that did not stop Immobile – fresh from scoring his 200th Serie A goal in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Cagliari – calmly rolling home into the bottom right corner.
Former Tottenham striker Kane saw a long-rang free-kick deflected over as below-par Bayern sought a leveller.
Yet the surprise result could have been worse.
Felipe Anderson and substitute Pedro each went close to doubling Lazio’s lead late on, with Tuchel given plenty to ponder.
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has defended “p****d off” Thomas Muller’s right to deliver a withering assessment of his team after their Bundesliga title hopes suffered a major setback.
Bayern, who have won the league for the last 11 seasons, were beaten 3-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday as the hosts opened up a five-point lead at the top of the table, prompting 34-year-old Germany international Muller to reveal he was “p****d off” at their lack of “energy and freedom” in an explosive post-match interview.
However, speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League last-16 clash with Lazio, Tuchel said: “I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head – and if anybody is allowed to issue a statement like that, it is Thomas.”
Tuchel, who admitted his players are currently struggling to transfer their quality in training into games, added: “Thomas is allowed to say this to the microphones because he’s also going to address it internally.
“And it’s important that the team internally talks about it because when we wake up tomorrow and look out of the window and see Rome, you know it’s a different competition and a new day.
“Even though Bayern Munich loses, the sun will rise again, even though you won’t believe it. We will allow ourselves to really be happy and to try to win. That’s part of the game.”
Tuchel finds himself under pressure heading into the game, but is adamant he will not allow it to distract him.
He said: “No, I don’t feel any increasing pressure. Pressure as such is a privilege, it’s a sporting pressure. I’ve never felt it differently and it hasn’t changed anything.
“It’s important to stay self-confident, to stay self-critical.
“The stronger the noise is around the game and the stronger the pressure gets, it’s more important to stay calm. Nothing will change.”
Lazio will hope to inflict further misery on the 2020 winners, and striker Ciro Immobile is relishing the chance to go head-to-head with Bayern’s 28-goal England striker Harry Kane.
Italy international Immobile told a press conference: “Numbers are important for a striker.
“Being able to compare myself with top-level players like Harry Kane is a big motivation for me. It allows me to understand the level I have reached in my career.
“But tomorrow it’s not a direct match with Kane that matters but the match between Lazio and Bayern.”
The Serie A side returned to form on on Saturday when they won 3-1 at Cagliari, in the process ending a run of three games without a victory, but they remain in eighth place in the table and a full 23 points adrift of leaders Inter Milan.
However, head coach Maurizio Sarri said: “We must not forget that we play to have fun. We need to rediscover the sense of fun on the pitch despite all the responsibilities we have to assume.
“If the child who loved playing football dies, the man also has less fun.”
Jeremie Frimpong fired into an empty net in stoppage time to cap Bayer Leverkusen’s outstanding 3-0 win over Bayern Munich as they celebrated carnival weekend in the Rhineland by moving five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Josip Stanisic, the man on loan from Bayern, opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Alex Grimaldo doubled the advantage five minutes into the second half, but Frimpong added an exclamation mark after Manuel Neuer came up for a corner and Leverkusen broke to punish him.
Bayern had more of the ball but throughout the night it always felt as though Xabi Alonso’s side were the more dangerous, and this was a huge statement in their bid to win a first Bundesliga title and banish the nickname Vizekuzen – a mark of the five times they have finished runners-up.
The match at the BayArena kicked off eight minutes late after fans threw toy balls and other items onto the pitch as part of ongoing protests against the prospect of outside investment into the Bundesliga, and once play began it was Bayern who appeared to be on the front foot.
But while Leverkusen were happy to invite the visitors on to them, they were simply waiting for the moment to counter.
Their first shot at goal came in the 11th minute but Amine Adli’s effort lacked the power to trouble Neuer. Adli threatened again seven minutes later before Kim Min-jae got a foot in just in time, but Bayern were asleep from the resulting throw-in and were made to pay.
Robert Andrich drilled in a low ball across the face of goal and the Bayern defence stood still as Stanisic arrived to fire home, left all alone by Sacho Boey, usually a right-back but deployed on the left here in his second appearance since joining from Galatasaray last month.
Adli had a superb chance to get a second just before half-time as Granit Xhaka’s pin-point pass put him clean through on goal, but Dayot Upamecano recovered to get a toe on the ball, poking it back to Neuer.
It took only five minutes of the second half for the second to arrive. Grimaldo played a neat one-two with Nathan Tella to carve open the Bayern defence before beating Neuer at his near post with a rising shot.
Bayern were rocking, and there was chaos in their penalty area soon after, with Eric Dier’s cross hitting the arm of Leon Goretzka before bobbling back to Neuer, with a VAR check for handball coming to nothing.
Grimaldo hit the crossbar direct from a corner just after the hour as the ball dramatically dipped, but it bounced to safety.
Bayern tried to up the ante as Thomas Tuchel turned to his bench but struggled to create any real opportunities for a frustrated Harry Kane.
Instead, Leverkusen looked more likely to score again. Frimpong had already hit a post at the end of one late counter-attack, but had the final say after Neuer failed to get on the end of the corner and he raced down the pitch to fire into the unguarded net.
Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel is targeting a “statement performance” to end the 30-match unbeaten run of title rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen hold a two-point lead over Saturday’s visitors at the top of the Bundesliga after winning 16 and drawing four of their 20 league games this season.
Xabi Alonso’s side can also boast a 100 per cent record in the group stage of the Europa League and twice came from behind in the German Cup on Tuesday to beat Stuttgart 3-2 and advance to the semi-finals.
However, Bayern can call on their experience of winning 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles and Tuchel believes his side have room for improvement as they approach the business end of the season.
“It’s exciting that two teams are earning points at such a high level,” Tuchel told a pre-match press conference.
“We’ve also had a very good campaign in terms of our history. We’re completely focused on what we can do. We want a statement performance. If we want to win, we need a top performance.
“It’s the week in which we want to prove ourselves. We’re playing for our own objectives, and our objective is to step things up a notch, and then we can be fine in every game. Then we’ve got the individual quality for it. We’re ready to improve.”
Tuchel’s side also have the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Lazio to look forward to and the 50-year-old added: “We have a very attractive week ahead of us.
“A win for Leverkusen opens up a gap, but it won’t be over, although it feels like a special moment to lay your cards on the table. It’s about challenging ourselves and therefore the opponent from the first second to the last.
“We want to take the next step. Leverkusen are having an outstanding season. We’ve still got room for improvement. We feel ready to take the next step and want to push Leverkusen.”
Alphonso Davies remains sidelined with a tendon injury but Joshua Kimmich, Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano have returned to training and are set to be in the matchday squad.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has been struggling with a knee problem, was set to take part in training on Friday before a decision is taken over whether he or Sven Ulreich will make the starting XI.
Harry Kane is confident he will win silverware with Bayern Munich this season before trying to lead England to Euro 2024 glory in Germany.
The 30-year-old is blazing a trail in the Bundesliga following his summer move from Tottenham, scoring 28 goals in 27 games as Bayern are locked in a title race with Bayer Leverkusen and also in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
He hopes his goals continue Bayern’s domination of German football before aiming for more glory in his new homeland with England in the European Championship.
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“I’m feeling confident,” he told the PA news agency. “Bayern Munich have been winning their league for the last 11 years or so and also won the Champions League a few years ago, there’s an expectation to be winning every trophy that we’re in.
“The focus is to win both tournaments.”
Asked whether the summer tournament was England’s best chance of ending their trophy drought, he said: “I would probably say ‘yes’, if you look how close we got in the last Euros and getting knocked out in the quarter-final to a great team in France.
“I am just looking at it from a point of view where our experiences as a team, our different ages in terms of having good younger players, good experienced players, young exciting players.
“When you look around the European nations now, we will be looked at as one of the favourites.
“There won’t be too many teams wanting to play us but games in tournaments are hard to win, they’re not easy, that’s why we haven’t won one in 60 years.
“We have to go there and try and achieve it. A great opportunity for us. We’re in a great moment as a team, but as always, we have to go there and make it happen so it is an exciting challenge to do that but a tough one as well.”
As he enters the second phase of his career, Kane has already shown his sustainability in the game, but is also tackling the matter off the pitch.
He has invested in golf sportswear brand Reflo, whose mission is to become the most sustainable apparel brand in the world by using materials derived from single-use plastic waste.
Kane, who will wear the Reflo brand when playing pro-am and exhibition competitions, has tackled social issues such as children’s mental health through his Harry Kane Foundation and now wants to learn more about sustainability.
“It’s more me as a father looking into the future and looking at my kids and thinking, ‘What can I do to help their future’,” he said.
“Sustainability is something that I know not too much about, I am still learning and getting to know more about it but when I am looking to partner or invest in brands, I want to see what they are doing for the future as well.
“Reflo are definitely hitting that market and trying to help a lot of other people understand about being sustainable and the impact that can have on the world itself. I am hoping to learn more as the relationship grows.”
Reflo have pledged to plant 500 trees for every goal that Kane scores in the 2023/24 season so they are going to be busy, with the England captain hitting the ground running in Germany.
Kane became a record breaker twice in the space of two months last season as he broke Jimmy Greaves’ all-time scoring for Tottenham and then became England’s greatest ever scorer the following month.
He has another achievement in his sights with Bayern as he chases down Robert Lewandowski’s seasonal record of 41 goals in the Bundesliga.
Kane, with 24 goals in 20 games so far, admitted he did not expect to be as prolific as he has been but was not focusing on eclipsing Lewandowski’s tally just yet.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I always believed in myself and I had scored goals every year in the Premier League and that’s what I wanted to go and do in the Bundesliga,” he added.
“I probably didn’t picture scoring as many goals as I have now at this stage of the season. But you know me, I don’t like to put a limit on anything.
“I don’t like to think about records in particular, they are a consequence of hard work and doing all the little stuff off the pitch that put you to where you are on it.
“My focus is on the short term and then as we get closer and we get towards the end of the season and I am in touching distance, then for sure it will be something I would love to achieve.”
Harry Kane is proud of how he handled a “difficult” time settling into his new life in Germany.
The England captain swapped London for Munich last summer as he left boyhood club Tottenham to join Bayern.
He spent the first few months of his stay in Germany in a hotel as his wife Kate and their children stayed behind before they all made the move into a new house after Christmas and a new chapter in their lives is now in full swing.
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You would never have known Kane was finding it tough given his performances on the pitch, scoring 28 goals in his first 27 games for Bayern.
“It wasn’t easy, the first four or five months being in the hotel and being away from the family,” he told the PA news agency.
“That was for sure difficult so I was proud of the way I was still able to perform on the pitch in those circumstances.
“We’ve had a good winter break and everyone came back with me, the kids are in school, we have got the house.
“Month by month it starts to feel more like home, you meet parents at school, my wife is meeting new friends and you just start to meet new people and see new things.
“Everyone has been fantastic, all the fans here, the club have been great and trying to make me welcome and so far it is nothing but praise for everyone here.”
Now that things are settling down, he cannot wait for the German golf courses to reopen.
The winter weather means he has been unable to play much of his beloved golf lately – though he has still been busy, investing in sportswear brand Reflo, whose mission is to become the most sustainable apparel brand in the world by using materials derived from single-use plastic waste.
Kane, who will wear the Reflo brand when playing pro-am and exhibition competitions, said: “The weather, since the snow hit us we have been struggling, I don’t think the courses open here until March so I have been hitting the golf simulator a little bit and trying to stay in a decent shape for now.
“That is one thing I am looking forward to, I am starting to feel at home with the family, the kids are in school so the next step is to start finding the golf courses when I get some alone time with friends.”
Kane has been determined to immerse himself in the culture of Munich and that includes learning the language.
So how is he getting on?
“I’ve started German lessons and have these at least once or twice a week,” he said.
“I want to fit in as much as possible and learning the language is important and I’m willing to try.
“The Bayern fans are great, I hear them chanting lots of songs throughout the matches.”
:: Harry Kane is a golf ambassador for sustainable performancewear brand Reflo. To find out more about the apparel, visit Reflo.com
Harry Kane headed his 24th Bundesliga goal of the season as Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 at the Allianz Arena and stay two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Monchengladbach, who had held Leverkusen 0-0 a week earlier, grabbed the lead through Nico Elvedi’s 35th-minute finish before Aleksandar Pavlovic equalised just prior to the interval.
Kane then nodded home in the 70th minute as he became the fastest player to reach 24 Bundesliga goals, doing so in 20 games to surpass Erling Haaland’s mark of 25, and equalled Luca Toni for most goals in a maiden season with the club.
Matthijs de Ligt added a late header of his own as the two-point gap was retained between second-placed Bayern and Leverkusen, who won 2-0 at bottom side Darmstadt, ahead of the top two meeting at BayArena next Saturday.
Leroy Sane was to the fore as Thomas Tuchel’s champions looked to make an early breakthrough, cracking one shot against the bar and sending another wide.
Monchengladbach made an ambitious attempt in the 27th minute with Florian Neuhaus’ shot from the halfway line being caught by Manuel Neuer, before the goalkeeper’s opposite number Moritz Nicolas did well to tip a Kane free-kick over the bar.
Four minutes later the visitors were ahead as Neuer’s ball to Thomas Muller was intercepted by Elvedi, who played a one-two with Jordan and side-footed into the bottom corner of the net.
Bayern hit back in the final minute of normal time before the break when Pavlovic fired past Nicolas having been teed up by Muller, the 19-year-old midfielder registering his second Bayern goal a week on from his first in the 3-2 win at Augsburg.
Jamal Musiala found Nicolas’ side-netting early in the second half and Kane subsequently had a shot saved.
The England captain then made it 2-1 when Leon Goretzka delivered the ball into the box, Nicolas got a glove to the ball under pressure from Muller but could only send it bouncing to Kane and he headed in.
De Ligt extended the advantage in the 86th minute, meeting Sane’s free-kick with a powerful header beyond Nicolas.
And there was almost a fourth for Bayern on 89 minutes via another header, substitute Mathys Tel seeing his effort saved.
Thomas Tuchel is expected to lead Bayern Munich against Borussia Monchengladbach despite the head coach being hit by flu in recent days.
The former Chelsea boss missed training on Wednesday and Thursday through the illness and has looked a doubt for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash at the Allianz Arena.
Sporting director Christoph Freund stood in at the pre-match press conference but said Tuchel would “in all likelihood” be on the touchline as Bayern look to heap pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
“Thomas will come down to Sabener Strasse (training ground) today and take training,” Freund said. “He’s getting better. We’re positive he can be at the game tomorrow.”
Tuchel was pictured later on Friday taking training on the eve of the Gladbach game, with Noussair Mazraoui back with the group following Morocco’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Joshua Kimmich returned to light training after a shoulder injury and new signing Bryan Zaragoza worked with his new team-mates for the first time.
Bayern announced in December that a deal had been reached with Granada to sign the 22-year-old forward at the end of the season, but injuries saw him arrive earlier than planned in a loan switch.
Sporting director Freund said: “It wasn’t the original plan. Due to the injuries, we discussed what we could do. We then decided we’d tried to bring him now. It was a last-minute thing.
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“I was in Granada on Monday, had good discussions and were able to reach an agreement. We’re very happy Bryan is here now.”
Zaragoza, speaking at his unveiling, added: “The plan was for me to come in the summer.
“The situation is how it is. This is a unique chance for me. I’m very grateful to Granada, but this was a big chance for me.”
Zaragoza is the third first-team signing made by Bayern during the winter transfer window after Eric Dier and Sacha Boey joined from Tottenham and Galatasaray respectively.
Sporting director Freund said: “We wanted to strengthen at the back with a centre-back and right-back. We’re happy.
“What’s happened with Bryan wasn’t the plan, but we reacted to the situation and were able to bring it forward. I’m very happy about that.
“Whether it’s all going to work out, we’ll see in the coming weeks and months. I’m positive and pleased we’re now well set.”
Gladbach will be hoping to darken the mood in Munich, with boss Gerardo Seoane looking to tweak the set-up that earned a 0-0 draw at leaders Leverkusen last weekend.
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“When you play against the top teams, you need to play really well across the board,” he said. “The other team also has to have an off day.
“From time to time against Leverkusen, we wanted to press higher up the pitch and go on the attack, but we didn’t manage to do that.
“Sitting back worked well, however. We’ll have to be quicker on the counter and use space better than we did last weekend against Bayern.
“We’re planning on preparing as much as we can for the opposition and playing as well as we can in all departments.”
Bayern Munich have agreed a short-term loan deal to bring Granada forward Bryan Zaragoza to the Bundesliga ahead of schedule.
The German champions announced in December the 22-year-old would be joining them on a five-year contract from the summer of 2024.
Injuries to key players, however, have prompted Bayern to move into the transfer market and they have secured the services of Zaragoza early on loan until the end of the season.
Zaragoza will join up with Thomas Tuchel’s squad immediately.
Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund told the club’s website: “In football you always have to be flexible and so we’ve reacted to the current situation.
“An agreement like this involves three parties and we’re happy that Bryan Zaragoza is joining us earlier than agreed.
“Bryan sees his future at FC Bayern – that future is beginning now. We’re very pleased that he’ll strengthen our squad already for the second half of the season.”
Zaragoza, who helped Granada win promotion to LaLiga last season, joins a Bayern side currently trailing Bayer Leverkusen by two points in a tight title race.
Zaragoza said: “I’m moving to FC Bayern to grow at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“I’m looking forward to what’s coming. We’re aiming high.”
Bayern Munich have hit out at suggestions that head coach Thomas Tuchel has touted himself as a replacement for outgoing Barcelona boss Xavi.
Xavi revealed in the wake of Barca’s 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal on Saturday that he would leave the club this summer, sparking a frenzy of speculation over potential successors.
A day later, Tuchel spoke about his ambition to work in Spain one day at a fan event, prompting claims he was setting out his stall for the post soon to be vacated by Xavi, much to the annoyance of his current employers.
In a statement issued via Bayern’s official website on Monday, chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and sporting director Christoph Freund said: “Our head coach Thomas Tuchel was asked by supporters on Sunday as part of a fan club visit about his coaching career and his previous experiences abroad at Paris St Germain and Chelsea, and naturally provided information about this during the discussion.
“He also answered general questions from fans about Spain as a footballing country. He never spoke about Xavi Hernandez and his successor, as was falsely claimed afterwards.
“We will no longer accept such non-factual statements directed against our coach, which always come from the same source.”
Tuchel, who took charge at the Allianz Arena in March last year, has found himself under pressure in recent weeks with the Bundesliga champions trailing current leaders Bayer Leverkusen in a two-horse title race.
However, that has eased somewhat in the last week courtesy of an edgy 1-0 win over Union Berlin in their game in hand and a 3-2 victory at Augsburg on Saturday which reduced the gap to just two points as a result of Leverkusen’s 0-0 home draw with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Kieran Trippier says Bayern Munich’s interest is a “compliment” but insists he remains fully committed to Newcastle.
The Magpies reportedly rejected a bid from the German champions to pry the England international away from the north east this month.
Trippier reiterated that Bayern’s interest has not put him off from being an integral player for Eddie Howe’s side, insisting he wants to make history.
Speaking after Newcastle’s 2-0 FA Cup victory over Fulham, Trippier said: “It’s always a compliment when a team like Bayern come in for you but I want to make history with the club, win a trophy and help the club grow for as long as possible.
“I hope everybody knows my commitment to this club. It has not changed since I first arrived. It’s a transfer window, things happen, it’s not put me off or anything. I’m at Newcastle.
“Things happen in the background. I had loads of conversations with the manager, everything was positive, nothing has changed and I’m committed to Newcastle.”
Newcastle will need to sell players in order to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations.
Trippier credited the professionalism of his team-mates despite several members of the squad drawing interest from potential suitors.
He added: “It’s a transfer window. The players are committed and nothing will change.
“We have a great squad, I’ve spoken about the togetherness in our group. Nothing will take us off track.
“Loads of rumours go round and it didn’t put us off tonight.
“We can only focus on what we do on the pitch and what goes on in the background goes on in the background.”
Trippier endured a difficult December period which included a mistake leading to a goal and a penalty miss during Newcastle’s Carabao Cup exit to Chelsea.
The right-back showed signs of his best on Saturday, delivering dangerous crosses into the box in the lead up to goals from Sean Longstaff and Dan Burn.
Trippier said: “I’m happy to stand here and say I’ve gone through some bad moments, it’s not like we do it on purpose, it happens.
“I’ve been in this situation in my career before but I just hope this is the turning point and I know I can do better.
“I recognise when I’m in a bad moment but it’s a new year and a new chapter.”
Bayern Munich have announced the signing of Sacha Boey on a four-and-a-half year deal.
The 23-year-old French defender arrives in Munich from Galatasaray on a contract until June 30, 2028.
Boey began his career in France at Rennes before becoming a regular in Dijon’s side during a loan spell with them in the 2020/21 season.
He moved to Galatasaray in 2021, where he became first-choice right-back last season, scoring one goal and providing four assists as the Turkish side secured the Super Lig title.
Speaking about the move, Boey told the Bayern website: “This is a dream come true for me. It’s an honour for me to get to play for such a big club like Bayern.
“I’m really looking forward to my new team and getting to play with all these great players in the future.
“As a player, I’m a defender who likes to attack, just as happy being involved up front as in defence.”
Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund added: “Sacha Boey is a very quick and physically strong right-back, who covers a lot of ground in every game and doesn’t shy away from any tackles.
“He was a fan favourite at Galatasaray, has developed very well down the years, arrived with Champions League experience and won the league title with Galatasaray last season.
“He will increase our quality in defence.”
Bayern Munich beat Bavarian neighbours Augsburg 3-2 in a pulsating contest to keep the pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Teenager Aleksandar Pavlovic – with his first Bayern goal – and Alphonso Davies put the visitors in command at the interval after Thomas Tuchel’s side had encountered a difficult start.
Harry Kane’s 23rd Bundesliga goal, sandwiched between a Ermedin Demirovic double, eventually proved the difference at a ground where Bayern had lost on their previous two league visits.
Augsburg were left to rue the presence of VAR twice in the opening 12 minutes much to the annoyance of home supporters.
A fifth-minute ball directed towards Demirovic struck the arm of Matthijs de Ligt and a penalty was awarded before a VAR check ruled contact was outside the box.
Augsburg thought they had then taken the lead when Elvis Rexhbecaj drilled past Manuel Neuer from a tight angle, but the midfielder had marginally strayed into an offside position.
Leon Goretzka volleyed wide of a post and Bayern’s improvement produced a 24th minute lead and a moment to remember for 19-year-old Pavlovic.
Raphael Guerreiro corner’s was not properly cleared by Phillip Tietz, and Pavlovic was alert to take a touch before lifting the ball into the roof of the net.
Bayern lost Kingsley Coman to injury and Augsburg had a chance to equalise when Rexhbecaj shot straight at Neuer.
Kane fired wide from a tight angle before Bayern doubled their lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Goretzka found Davies with a measured pass and the full-back, cutting in from the left flank, drilled home from 25 yards with his weaker right foot.
Augsburg were not finished though and halved the deficit after 52 minutes when Kevin Mbabu sped down the right.
Mbabu delivered an accurate cross for top scorer Demirovic to guide his header beyond Neuer and into the bottom left-hand corner.
Kane restored Bayern’s two-goal cushion six minutes later, rolling home Jamal Musiala’s pass into an empty net.
The offside flag was initially raised, but the goal stood after VAR intervention with the final touch coming off an Augsburg defender.
Bayern almost increased their lead nine minutes from time when Leroy Sane released substitute Mathys Tel and the substitute struck the post.
There was drama to the end as Neuer saved Sven Michel’s penalty and Demirovic converted another spot-kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but Bayern held on to make the short trip home with three precious points.
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