Bayern Munich’s dreams of a German Cup triumph were shattered on Tuesday as they suffered a humiliating third-round exit at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen at their home stadium. In a dramatic turn of events, the hosts were reduced to ten men after their star goalkeeper Manuel Neuer received the first red card of his illustrious career, marking a dark day for the Bavarians.
The match started on a sour note for the home side, as Leverkusen's high-intensity pressing caught them off guard. Despite Bayern’s initial struggles, they slowly found their footing and were able to create some scoring opportunities. However, they failed to capitalize on these chances, and the visitors capitalized on their mistakes.
As the game wore on, tensions began to escalate between the two teams. In a confrontation involving Bayer midfielder Wendell and Bayern striker Sadio Mane, the Algerian forward Wendell shoved Mane to the ground. But in a surprising turn of events, Wendell received a yellow card, while Sadio Mane was subsequently fouled once more.
The crucial moment came in the 80th minute when Manuel Neuer was shown the first red card of his career. Neuer, a German football legend and a goalkeeper known for his exceptional shot-stopping skills, got into a confrontation with Leverkusen forward Edmond Tapsoba. Neuer appeared to grab Tapsoba by the throat and struck him with his hand after a challenge, drawing blood in the process.
The star goalkeeper was subsequently given his marching orders by the referee, forcing Bayern Munich to play the remainder of the match with ten men. And a matter of minutes later, it was Leverkusen who would capitalize on their opponents' misfortune, snatching a decisive goal and dashing the Munich side’s German Cup aspirations.