Dayot Upamecano has been pummeled by both L’Equipe and Bild after his torrid night in Manchester, which saw Bayern Munich take a big step out of the Champions League with their 3-0 defeat in the first leg of the quarter-final.
The 24-year-old – who has been among Bayern’s most reliable players this season – endured a ‘nightmare’ at the heart of the defence, receiving a brutal 2/10 from the infamous French outlet, as well as a 5/5 from Germany’s Bild.
While L’Equipe prefers a rating of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, Bild gives out ratings based on a 1-5 system, where a 1 is the best result a player can achieve, with Upamecano here gets the worst possible rating from Bild.
“He was the most reliable defender in recent months. A status that has been shattered,” says L’Equipe in its assessment of Upamecano’s performance at the Etihad.
His second half looked like a nightmare. One of those who mark a career. Already the author of a failed clearance for (Jack) Grealish in the 50th minute, the France international showed total fever.
Dayot Upamecano struggled to contain Manchester City’s attacking players on Tuesday night
Thomas Tuchel’s side suffered a rare Champions League defeat against Man City
Serge Gnabry also got a 3/10 and a 5/5 from the reviewers after a slack showing at the top
‘He lost the ball – again to Grealish – leading up to the 2nd goal in the 70th minute. And his positioning for 3rd is precarious at best.
His passing game was mediocre in the first period. And he missed certain interventions, especially for Bernardo Silva in the 22nd minute.
But he wasn’t the only member of his side to receive scathing ratings, with Serge Gnabry receiving a 3/10 and 5/5, while new boss Thomas Tuchel was awarded a 3/10 and a 4/5.
“A very complicated first period in which he was non-existent against the defensive collaboration between Stones and Dias,” the French publication wrote of the ex-Arsenal striker’s performance.
‘In his defence, the attacker played down the middle, which is not his preferred position. But he failed to find solutions to relieve his team and was replaced by Thomas Muller after 80 minutes.’
Kingsley Coman also took a 5 from Bild, as well as a 3/10, with L’Equipe criticizing his inability to beat Nathan Ake, with his pace his only positive attribute on the night.
A miserable night for the record Bundesliga winners was awarded an average rating of 4.6 from L’Equipe, with Yann Sommer and Leroy Sané doing most of the heavy lifting with 6/10 ratings, and 3.9 from Bild.
“He was the most dangerous attacker in his team, although it wasn’t difficult because his teammates were either anonymous or disappointing,” L’Equipe said of the former City star.
Thomas Tuchel received a 4 from Bild and a 3/10 from L’Equipe on his return to the Champions League
Leroy Sane was the only forward for Bayern Munich to come with positive reviews
Kingsley Coman’s inability to beat Nathan Ake with regularity saw him come in for a scathing review
After a somewhat messy first period, he woke up and asserted himself with three hits in eight minutes, though they were all diverted by Ederson. Frustrating.’
The Swiss goalkeeper made six saves to keep the deficit to three goals, and was exposed at times by his side’s shaky defensive work, making an impact between the sticks.
Given the impressive result, it is not surprising that several City stars, including Erling Haaland, Rodri and Bernardo Silva, were praised for their efforts in the 3-0 victory.
All three were on the scoresheet – with the Norwegian scoring a 45th of the season, breaking a record shared by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Mohamed Salah – with Rodri in particular receiving critical acclaim following his stunning opener.
The German outlet had the Spanish midfielder as the best player on the field, with Rodri receiving the sole rating of 1 from a great City team.
Haaland was given a 2 and an 8/10 by L’Equipe, who wrote: ‘A match that almost sums up his season. The Norwegian was barely found by his teammates in the first half, sparking criticism once again over his struggle to fit into City’s game.
“In the second half, he emphasized his strength and the quality of his movements and provided a great assist for Bernardo Silva before scoring himself from close range.”
Portuguese playmaker Silva was also praised for his creativity and passing throughout the game.
Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland were celebrated by both outlets with s and 8/10 ratings
Spanish midfielder Rodri was rated the best player on the pitch by German outlet Bild with a 1
Pep Guardiola got a 2 from Bild and his side got an average of 6.7 from L’Equipe
“In addition to a rare header, the Portuguese stood out for assisting Rodri’s opener, for his skillful passing (88 percent success rate) and for his multiple breakthroughs on the right, each of which led to dangerous situations.”
Grealish and goalkeeper Ederson were also noted for their efforts on Tuesday night, with the England striker continuing his own strong season on the left, and his part in the hosts’ second goal and constant pressure from Upamecano earning a 7/10 and 2 .
Ederson shook off a shaky start to make three decisive saves early in the second period, and remained alert in his work as sweeper-keeper, clearing up any stray long balls.
Compared to their opponents, City received average ratings of 6.7 from L’Equipe and 2.3 from Bild, with Pep Guardiola also receiving a 2/5 from the German publication.