MUNICH – Manuel Neuer faced a significant first in his illustrious career as he was shown a red card for the first time, leading Bayern Munich to a surprising 1-0 defeat at home to defending champions Bayer Leverkusen in the third round of the German Cup on Tuesday.
This marked an unprecedented moment for Neuer, who has played 124 matches for Germany without ever receiving a red card. His dismissal occurred in the 17th minute after he tackled Jeremie Frimpong, who was poised to score following a long pass from Johnathan Tah. Despite Bayern’s protests regarding the decision, the referee determined that Neuer made no attempt to play the ball.
While Bayern Munich, still reeling from the loss of their star forward Harry Kane due to a right hamstring injury sustained during a prior match against Borussia Dortmund, created more opportunities in the first half, they struggled to capitalize. Leverkusen showed patience and controlled the match despite Bayern’s aggressive approach.
In the second half, Leverkusen brought on Patrik Schick, but he sustained a calf injury shortly after. Nathan Tella, who replaced Schick, made an immediate impact, scoring with a header in the 69th minute from a perfectly placed cross by Álex Grimaldo.
After the match, Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich expressed the pain of elimination, stating, “The first title of the season is gone, and that hurts.” Notably, Leverkusen’s coach Xabi Alonso, a former Bayern player, maintained his unbeaten record against his old club, with five victories in as many encounters.
Bayern’s early exit in this tournament is compounded by the fact that they also faced an early exit last season in the second round. In other results of the night, Werder Bremen managed a close 1-0 victory against Darmstadt, while 2022 finalists Freiburg were eliminated by third-division team Arminia Bielefeld in a 3-1 upset. Stuttgart won comfortably against Jahn Regensburg with a score of 3-0.
This season’s German Cup has already seen several surprising outcomes, showing that upsets are a hallmark of knockout competitions, where anything can happen. The elimination could serve as a wake-up call for Bayern to refocus their efforts moving forward, and the team may find inspiration in overcoming this setback.
This moment of adversity might pave the way for growth and resilience as they refocus on their league and future competitions.