Despite playing much of the match with 10 men, Bayern Munich couldn’t hold off Bayer Leverkusen in the end. For the first time in his two-decade professional career, Manuel Neuer received a red card, leaving Bayern on the back foot early in the game. While they fought valiantly to stay in the match, their efforts fell short as Leverkusen eliminated the record German Cup champions and advanced to the quarter-finals.
The match at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night ended 1-0 in favor of last season’s champions, thanks to a decisive goal from Nathan Tella.
Bayern, who exited the second round of the German Cup last season in a trophy-less campaign, managed to go one step further this time. However, their journey ended earlier than hoped, marking their first domestic defeat of the season despite their unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga. Bayern, 20-time champions of the German Cup, last won the title in the 2019-20 season but have failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in the last five editions.
The turning point came in the 17th minute when Neuer was sent off for a foul on Dutch defender Jeremie Frimpong outside the box. It was the first red card in the illustrious career of the German goalkeeper, who started playing professionally in 2004.
Missing star striker and top scorer Harry Kane due to injury, Bayern faced the dual challenge of being a man down and lacking their key forward. Despite this, they mounted strong attacks early in the second half. However, Leverkusen struck against the run of play in the 69th minute when Nigerian midfielder Tella, brought on just eight minutes earlier, headed in a cross to secure the win.
Leverkusen’s Bundesliga campaign this season has been below expectations, sitting third and seven points behind league leaders Bayern. However, they maintained their positive run against Bayern, remaining unbeaten in their last five encounters with three wins and two draws in this stretch.
While Bayern continues to dominate domestically in the league, their inability to translate that success into cup competitions remains a concern, as Leverkusen ends their hopes of lifting the German Cup this season.
