In an electrifying match on Tuesday, Bayer Leverkusen pulled off a stunning upset against Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, winning 1-0 to secure their spot in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals.
The game took a dramatic turn in the 17th minute when Bayern's legendary goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, was shown a straight red card for a reckless bodycheck on Jeremie Frimpong. This marked the first red card of Neuer's illustrious 38-year career.
Despite being down to 10 men, Bayern struggled to maintain their dominance, allowing Leverkusen to capitalize on their chances. The decisive moment came in the 69th minute when Nathan Tella, who had just come on as a substitute, headed the only goal of the match after a brilliant cross from Alex Grimaldo.
Leverkusen's coach, Xabi Alonso, continues his impressive run in the German Cup, having won all nine of his matches and keeping an unbeaten streak against Bayern over the past five encounters.
Defender Jonathan Tah praised his team's strategic play, saying, \"It was not our best game with the ball or even with an extra man but we applied our plan.\" Despite missing key strikers Victor Boniface and Harry Kane, Leverkusen demonstrated resilience and tactical prowess to overcome the odds.
Bayern Munich, currently leading the Bundesliga, will be looking to regroup after this unexpected defeat, as they have not progressed past the quarterfinals in the German Cup since their last win in 2020.
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