Bayern Munich crashed out of the German Cup following a 1-0 defeat to defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, courtesy of a second-half header from Nathan Tella.
The match took a dramatic turn when Manuel Neuer received the first red card of his 866-game career, leaving Bayern to battle with 10 men.
Neuer’s dismissal came 18 minutes into the last-16 tie, as the 38-year-old goalkeeper rushed out of his box and brought down Jeremie Frimpong.
His straight red card forced Bayern to call upon Daniel Peretz, who made his debut for the club 18 months after signing, replacing the veteran keeper between the posts.
Despite missing star striker Harry Kane through injury, Bayern pressed forward and controlled possession, even with the numerical disadvantage.
Leverkusen, however, remained patient and struck on the counter. Tella, who replaced an injured Patrik Schick in the 61st minute, made an instant impact by nodding in Alex Grimaldo’s pinpoint cross in the 69th minute.
Bayern came close to an equalizer in stoppage time when Michael Olise’s shot narrowly missed the target, but Leverkusen held firm to hand Vincent Kompany his first domestic loss as Bayern manager.
The win secured a quarter-final spot for Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, who continue their quest to defend their league and cup double from last season.
Bayern, the record holders with 20 German Cup titles, have not advanced past the quarter-finals since lifting the trophy in 2020 with a 4-2 victory over Leverkusen.
Elsewhere, Werder Bremen advanced to the quarter-finals thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time goal from Anthony Jung, edging past Darmstadt 1-0. Stuttgart joined them with a dominant 3-0 win over Regensburg, while Freiburg suffered a surprising 3-1 defeat at the hands of Arminia Bielefeld.
Stuttgart’s Enzo Millot opened the scoring just 10 minutes into their match, showcasing a clever solo effort. Anrie Chase doubled the lead with a header from a set piece nine minutes later, marking his first goal for the club.
Nick Woltemade rounded off the scoring with a composed finish after breaking through the defense.
Freiburg, runners-up in 2022, were stunned by Bielefeld despite winning an early penalty. Michael Gregoritsch earned the spot-kick but saw Florent Muslija’s effort easily saved.
Bielefeld capitalized with a long-range strike from Christopher Lannert and a penalty conversion by Julian Kania. Although Gregoritsch pulled one back, Louis Oppie sealed Bielefeld’s victory with a late goal.
RB Leipzig, winners of the competition in 2022 and 2023, are set to host Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday in another highly anticipated clash.
