Bayern Munich’s hopes of defending their DFB Pokal crown were dashed on Tuesday as Bayer Leverkusen triumphed 1-0 at the Allianz Arena, with Nigeria’s Nathan Tella scoring the decisive goal.
The match saw a dramatic shift in the 17th minute when Bayern’s goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, was shown a red card for a foul on Jeremie Frimpong just outside the penalty area. This marked the first red card of Neuer’s distinguished career, leaving Bayern to play with just 10 men for the majority of the match.
Despite being a man down, Bayern created several opportunities in the first half, with Kingsley Coman, Konrad Laimer, and Leon Goretzka all testing Leverkusen’s defense. However, the visitors stood firm.
The breakthrough came in the 69th minute, as Alex Grimaldo delivered a perfect cross into the box, which Nathan Tella met with a brilliant header past Bayern’s substitute goalkeeper, Sven Ulreich. The goal was enough to seal Leverkusen’s place in the quarter-finals, despite Bayern’s dominance in possession and several late attempts.
In the final moments, Bayern’s Michael Olise almost sent the game into extra time with a curling shot, but it narrowly missed the target. Leverkusen held on to their slim advantage, sending the defending champions out of the competition.
For Bayern Munich, the early exit is a major disappointment, while Leverkusen, with Tella’s match-winning performance, march on with renewed confidence.
