Bayern Munich's German Cup campaign came to a dramatic end with a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, marked by Manuel Neuer's first career red card. The 38-year-old goalkeeper was sent off 18 minutes into the match for a reckless challenge on Jeremie Frimpong outside the penalty area.
Neuer's dismissal forced Bayern to bring on debutant goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and play the remainder of the match with ten men. Despite dominating possession, Bayern struggled to capitalize on their opportunities while Leverkusen patiently waited to strike on the counter.
Leverkusen's breakthrough came in the 69th minute when Nathan Tella, who had been on the field for just eight minutes, headed in a precise cross from Alex Grimaldo. Tella’s goal proved decisive as Bayern, missing injured striker Harry Kane, could not find an equalizer.
Michael Olise nearly salvaged a result for the hosts with a late effort in stoppage time, but his shot went narrowly wide. The result handed Bayern their first domestic loss under manager Vincent Kompany and sent Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso, into the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere in the competition, Werder Bremen secured a 1-0 victory over Darmstadt thanks to Anthony Jung's stoppage-time goal, earning their place in the last eight. Stuttgart also advanced with a commanding 3-0 win against Regensburg.
Enzo Millot opened the scoring for Stuttgart with a brilliant individual effort, followed by goals from Anrie Chase and Nick Woltemade to seal a comfortable victory. However, Freiburg suffered a surprise elimination at the hands of third-division Arminia Bielefeld, who capitalized on key errors to secure a 3-1 win.
Looking ahead, RB Leipzig, champions in 2022 and 2023, will host five-time winners Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday in a highly anticipated clash. Leverkusen’s victory against Bayern further cements their status as a formidable force, following their unbeaten domestic double last season.
Meanwhile, Bayern's early exit extends their German Cup drought, having not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since their 2020 triumph over Leverkusen in the final.
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