Bayer Leverkusen shocked Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday, advancing to the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals. Nathan Tella’s second-half header secured the win against a Bayern side reduced to ten men early in the game.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 17th minute when Bayern’s veteran goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, was shown a straight red card for a challenge outside the box on Jeremie Frimpong—the first dismissal of Neuer’s illustrious career. Despite being a man down, Bayern created several chances through Kingsley Coman, Konrad Laimer, and Leon Goretzka.
Leverkusen initially struggled to make their numerical advantage count. Defender Jonathan Tah acknowledged that adapting to the extra player was challenging and that the team was overly eager in the first half.
Both teams were missing key strikers, with Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface sidelined and Bayern’s top scorer Harry Kane out due to injury. The match remained tense until the 69th minute when substitute Tella, who had entered the game just eight minutes earlier, headed in a superb cross from Alex Grimaldo.
Bayern pushed for an equalizer but couldn’t break through Leverkusen’s defense. The defeat marks Bayern’s first in domestic competitions this season and continues their struggle in the German Cup since their last title in 2020.
Leverkusen’s coach, Xabi Alonso, remains unbeaten in the German Cup, having won all nine of his matches. This victory also extends Leverkusen’s unbeaten run against Bayern to five games, keeping their title defense hopes alive.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
