Upamecano’s performance against Manchester City was deemed “the worst Champions League performance of all time”.
City won the quarter-final first leg 3-0 against Bayern Munich, with Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland scoring.
Upamecano, who played alongside Matthijs De Ligt in defense, struggled throughout the match.
Upamecano struggled from the outset, slipping as Jack Grealish ran at him, and never found his footing.
He was frequently outperformed by Haaland and had poor passing from the back, often losing possession in crucial areas under pressure.
Upamecano’s mistakes continued in the second half when he had a mix-up with goalkeeper Yann Sommer, almost gifting Grealish a goal.
He was then dispossessed by Grealish, who set up Haaland for Bernardo Silva’s headed goal.
For the third goal, he was caught ball-watching as Haaland tapped in from John Stones’ header.
Despite being previously regarded as one of the best central defenders in the game and even starting in the World Cup final for France against Argentina.
Upamecano’s performance in the Man City vs Bayern match was heavily criticized on social media.
One fan wrote: “If Upamecano can be a footballer, you can be anything you wish.”
Another opined: “All the good work Upamecano has done in rebuilding his reputation this season erased in one night. Shades of Varane against City from a few seasons ago. Kamikaze.”
A third violated: “If this was Powerleague, you’d be asking Upamecano if he fancies going in nets for 5 mins. Just to take the edge off for a bit.”
A fourth added: “Upamecano had a horrendous game against City. Completely destroyed his team’s CL hopes single-handedly.”
A final user joked: “Upamecano would be holding the bench for Phil Jones if they played together for a championship club.
Dayot Upamecano Vs Manchester City (A)
Overhated performance. pic.twitter.com/SH6J1RXjJJ
— . (@difrnt_) April 11, 2023
Bayern’s new manager Thomas Tuchel was open about Upamecano’s performance, acknowledging that he made “too many mistakes” and had a few instances where he lacked concentration.
Bayern now face the daunting challenge of trying to overturn the deficit in the second leg at the Allianz Arena next Wednesday.