Manuel Neuer is shown the red card. © APA/afp / MICHAELA STACHE

DFB Cup: Neuer sees red and Bayern is eliminated

After the bitter red card for goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, defending champion Bayer Leverkusen coolly shot FC Bayern out of the DFB Cup.

03 December 2024

From: dpa/det

The Munich team, who dominated a fierce round of 0 battle despite being outnumbered, suffered the most serious defeat in coach Vincent Kompany's young tenure with a 1-XNUMX defeat. This was the fifth time in a row that the record winners were eliminated early in the cup competition.

Leverkusen's substitute Nathan Tella silenced the majority of the 75.000 spectators with his header goal just a few minutes after he was substituted (69th minute). Israeli national goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, who came on for Neuer in his third Bayern professional game, had no chance of defending the unchallenged header from the Bayer professional, who is only 1,73 meters tall.

Neuer's first dismissal leads to heated duel

Neuer's first dismissal in his 867th game in professional football in the 17th minute was the early starting signal for a heated and thrilling meeting of giants between the record winners from Munich and the double winners from the Rhine.

Neuer sneaks off the field with his head bowed. © APA/afp / MICHAELA STACHE

After a long ball from defender Jonathan Tah, the 38-year-old Neuer stopped the onrushing Jeremie Frimpong with a hard body check outside the penalty area. Referee Harm Osmers showed a red card. There was no debate about the sending off, which national coach Julian Nagelsmann described as "undisputed, if unfortunate".

Bayern pressed hard even with one man less on the field, but Leverkusen still managed to score. Nathan Tella scored with a header in the 69th minute - and thus shattered Bayern's cup dream.

DFB-Pokal, Round of 16 – Tuesday matches

Arminia Bielefeld – Freiburg 3:1
Regensburg – Stuttgart 0:3
Bayern Munich – Bayer Leverkusen 0:1
Werder Bremen – Darmstadt 1:0