Red for Manuel Neuer! Bayer Leverkusen dump Bayern Munich out of the German Cup

Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen secured a 1-0 victory against 10-man Bayern Munich on Tuesday, advancing to the German Cup quarterfinals with Nathan Tella scoring against the run of play in the second half.

This match marked Bayern's first defeat of the season across both the league and domestic cup competitions. The setback came after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was shown a straight red card in the 17th minute, marking the first dismissal in the 38-year-old's illustrious career.

With this loss, Bayern has not progressed past the quarterfinals of the German Cup since their last triumph in 2020.

Both teams were without their star strikers, with Leverkusen missing Victor Boniface and Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane sidelined for several weeks due to an injury sustained in Bayern's recent draw with Borussia Dortmund.

The match began with both sides vying for dominance until Neuer's reckless challenge on Jeremie Frimpong outside the box earned him an early exit. Reserve goalkeeper Daniel Peretz replaced Leroy Sane, yet Bayern still managed to create several first-half opportunities through Kingsley Coman, Konrad Laimer, and Leon Goretzka.

Leverkusen, however, took the lead against the flow of the game in the 69th minute when Tella, who had only been on the pitch for eight minutes, headed in a brilliant cross from Alex Grimaldo.

Bayern struggled to generate significant chances until Michael Olise's curling shot in stoppage time, but Leverkusen held firm to maintain their slender lead and continue their defense of the German Cup title.


FC Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen: The DFB Cup round of 16 in the live ticker
Conclusion: It was clear very early on that this would not be a boring top match - namely when Neuer ran over Frimpong in the 17th minute and had to disappear into the catacombs with the first red card of his career. However, the game did not unfold as one might have expected. Leverkusen was able to pose a threat with a few counterattacks before the break, but even when outnumbered, it was mostly FC Bayern who dominated the game and could have taken the lead several times. This continued after the break, until the freshly substituted Tella gave FCB a cold shower with a header after a buttery-soft Grimaldo cross. By then, of course, it was very difficult for the Munich team, who were still trying hard, and were ultimately unable to break through the visitors' defense. FCB lost 0:1 at home to a composed Werkself, whose hopes of defending their title are still alive. That's it from me for today, have a nice evening!