Leverkusen eliminate Bayern from German Cup after Neuer sees first red / Photo: Michaela STACHE - AFP
Leverkusen eliminate Bayern from German Cup after Neuer sees first red
Bayern Munich have been eliminated from the German Cup by holders Bayer Leverkusen, who won 1-0 thanks to a second-half Nathan Tella goal, after Manuel Neuer saw the first red card of his 866-game career.
The 38-year-old rushed out of the box in typical fashion 18 minutes in to the German Cup last-16 clash, taking out an advancing Jeremie Frimpong and seeing straight red.
Neuer's sending-off brought Israel goalkeeper Daniel Peretz on for his Bayern debut, 18 months after joining the club, while forcing the hosts to play the remainder of the match a man down.
Bayern, who were already without the injured Harry Kane, dug deep despite the one-man disadvantage and dominated the ball, with Leverkusen hanging back and preferring to hit on the counter.
The visitors eventually broke through in the 69th minute, with the 1.72-metre tall Tella heading in an Alex Grimaldo cross.
Tella had only been on the field for eight minutes, having come on for injured striker Patrik Schick, who himself was subbed on at half-time.
Home winger Michael Olise lashed inches wide in the fourth minute of stoppage time but Leverkusen held on to inflict a first domestic defeat of Vincent Kompany's Bayern career.
The victory means Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen, who won an unbeaten league and cup double last season, are through to the quarter-finals.
Bayern have won the German Cup a record 20 times -- 14 better than the next best -- but have not made it past the quarter-final stage since 2020, when they defeated Leverkusen 4-2 in the final.
Elsewhere, a stoppage-time goal from Anthony Jung took Werder Bremen to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Darmstadt.
Stuttgart are also into the quarter-finals after a 3-0 win in Regensburg, while Freiburg were knocked out following a 3-1 loss at Arminia Bielefeld.
Three-time winners Stuttgart were dominant against their second-division opponents, taking the lead just 10 minutes in thanks to a clever individual goal from Enzo Millot.
Japanese defender Anrie Chase headed in from a free-kick nine minutes later to double the visitors' lead -- his first goal for Stuttgart.
Nick Woltemade broke through and rounded the goalkeeper to score Stuttgart's third, sealing progress to the last eight.
Beaten finalists in 2022, Freiburg were heavy favourites to beat third-division Bielefeld and looked on course when Michael Gregoritsch won a penalty 15 minutes in, drawing a clumsy foul from Maximilian Grosser.
But Florent Muslija's tame shot went straight at the goalkeeper and was easily saved.
The hosts then took the lead thanks to an excellent long-range effort from Christopher Lannert on 28 minutes, before Gregoritsch gave away a penalty, which was nervelessly converted by Julian Kania nine minutes before the break.
Gregoritsch pulled one back just after the hour, but Louis Oppie put Bielefeld out of reach with a goal nine minutes from full-time.
On Wednesday, RB Leipzig -- winners in 2022 and 2023 -- host five-time champions Eintracht Frankfurt.
G.Svensson--RTC
