In a surprising turn of events, Bayern Munich’s run in the German Cup came to an abrupt end as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to defending champions Bayer Leverkusen. This match marked a historic moment for Bayern’s captain, Manuel Neuer, who was shown a straight red card for the first time in his illustrious career during the 17th minute. The veteran goalkeeper was penalized for a foul on Jeremie Frimpong, who was on the brink of scoring after receiving a long pass from Johnathan Tah. Despite protests from his teammates, Neuer’s act was deemed a clear foul as he made no attempt to play the ball.
Without star striker Harry Kane, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained against Borussia Dortmund, Bayern struggled to convert their chances into goals, despite dominating the first half. Leverkusen’s coach, Xabi Alonso, made a tactical change at halftime by bringing on Patrik Schick, but the Czech forward was forced off due to a calf injury early in the second half. Nathan Tella came off the bench to replace him and quickly made an impact by scoring the only goal of the match with a well-placed header from an assist by Álex Grimaldo.
This loss is particularly painful for Bayern, as midfielder Joshua Kimmich noted, “The first title of the season is gone, and that hurts.” While the team’s performance was commendable, the absence of key players proved detrimental as they aim to regroup for future competitions. Alonso’s skills as a coach continue to show, as he remains unbeaten in five encounters against his former club.
In other matches, Werder Bremen secured a narrow 1-0 victory over second-tier Darmstadt, while last year’s finalists, Freiburg, faced an unexpected exit with a 3-1 loss to third-division Arminia Bielefeld. Stuttgart also advanced with a convincing 3-0 win against Jahn Regensburg.
This elimination may serve as a turning point for Bayern Munich, emphasizing the need for resilience and adaptation within the squad. As they focus on upcoming challenges, there may still be opportunities for the team to bounce back and regain their competitive edge in both domestic and international competitions.