Nathan Tella scored the only goal of the game as Bayer Leverkusen triumphed over Bayern Munich in the German Cup, securing their place in the quarter-finals. The match saw an early setback for Bayern Munich when veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was sent off in the 17th minute. Neuer, in an attempt to stop an attacking move, rushed out of his goal and collided with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong. The red card left Bayern with just 10 players, and Leverkusen was handed the advantage of an extra man for the remainder of the match.
Despite the numerical advantage, Leverkusen struggled to break the deadlock and had to wait until the 69th minute to find the decisive goal. The breakthrough came when former Burnley and Southampton forward Nathan Tella scored from a brilliant cross by Alex Grimaldo. Tella struck the ball first time, sending it beyond Bayern’s substitute goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz, and into the net.
Bayern, though reduced to 10 men, had opportunities to equalize. Dayot Upamecano came closest to leveling the score when he met a cross with a header aimed at the far post, but the ball drifted narrowly wide. Kingsley Coman also had a chance following a corner from Joshua Kimmich, but his header sailed off target. Kim Min-jae, another Bayern defender, had a weak header miss the goal just before halftime, further frustrating Bayern’s efforts.
This victory continued Xabi Alonso’s impressive record in the German Cup, as he remains unbeaten in the competition since taking charge of Leverkusen. This marked his eighth consecutive win in the competition as Leverkusen’s coach. For Bayern Munich, the defeat highlighted their ongoing struggles in the tournament, as they have not won the German Cup since 2020, despite being 20-time winners.
