Holders Bayer Leverkusen stunned 10-man Bayern Munich 1-0 on Tuesday, securing a place in the German Cup quarter-finals. Nathan Tella’s second-half header, against the run of play, handed Leverkusen the win, knocking out the hosts and making it the first defeat for Bayern this season in both league and domestic cup competitions.
The match took a dramatic turn early when Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was shown a straight red card in the 17th minute for a foul on Jeremie Frimpong outside the box. It was a rare career first for the veteran keeper, forcing Bayern to make a substitution, bringing on reserve goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. Despite being down a player, Bayern continued to press and created several chances through Kingsley Coman, Konrad Laimer, and Leon Goretzka.
Leverkusen struggled to capitalize on their numerical advantage in the first half, as they were too rushed in their play, looking to score quickly. But after the break, they struck when Tella, who had only been on the pitch for eight minutes, met an excellent cross from Alex Grimaldo to head home the winner in the 69th minute.
Bayern’s hopes of mounting a comeback were thwarted as they failed to create clear chances, with Leverkusen’s defense holding firm. Michael Olise’s curling shot in stoppage time was the closest Bayern came to an equalizer, but it wasn’t enough.
Leverkusen’s manager, Xabi Alonso, continued his perfect record in the German Cup, having won all nine of his matches in the competition as a coach. His team has now gone five matches unbeaten against Bayern, including this crucial Cup victory. Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah acknowledged the team’s tactical discipline, saying, “We didn’t do it perfectly, but we were effective when it counted.”
This defeat marks Bayern’s failure to reach the German Cup quarter-finals since their last win in 2020, while Leverkusen’s title defense remains very much alive.
