Bundesliga
Tella powers Leverkusen past Bayern
Nathan Tella got the only goal of the game as Bayer Leverkusen won 1-0 against Bayern Munich, who saw Manuel Neuer suffer his first career red card. The DFB Cup quarter-finals await.
Bayern Munich 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 0-1 Tella (assist: Grimaldo) 69'
Red cards: Neuer 17'
Bayern have opened up a seven-point gap on last season's Bundesliga usurpers Leverkusen this year, and they started well, dominating possession despite missing injured top scorer Harry Kane. Kingsley Coman fired the first shot of the game into Matěj Kovář's gloves before Florian Wirtz fizzed one wide at the other end. The pendulum seemed to swing Leverkusen's way when Manuel Neuer was sent off for a foul on Jeremie Frimpong, although Álex Grimaldo's subsequent free-kick hit the top of the wall and sailed over. But Bayern gave as good as they got for the rest of the half. Konrad Laimer got through one-on-one with Kovář only for Granit Xhaka to pull off a last-gasp block and Leon Goretzka forced a good save from a Joshua Kimmich free-kick before Harm Osmers' whistle for half-time went with Leverkusen perhaps the more relieved to hear it.
Frimpong and Wirtz had Neuer's replacement Daniel Peretz scrambling at the start of the second half, the former fizzing a cross in for the latter which was almost steered inside the far post. Patrik Schick had replaced Robert Andrich at the start of the second half but his game lasted less than 15 minutes, the Czech going off with a calf injury to be replaced by Nathan Tella. Tella then broke the deadlock with a header Schick would have been proud of, meeting a Grimaldo cross with little more than 20 minutes left. Vincent Kompany duly made a triple substitution for Bayern, with Serge Gnabry in particular providing fresh legs up front. Peretz found Gnabry with a long ball forward soon after but Jonathan Tah stuck out a leg to deny him and it ended 1-0 to Leverkusen.
Match stats
- Neuer's red card was the first of his career. He made his senior debut in 2005.
- Tella's goal was his first of the season.
- Leverkusen are bidding to become the seventh different team to win back-to-back DFB Cups, after Karlsruhe, Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt, Cologne, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Schalke.
- Xabi Alonso was part of the Bayern team that won the 2025/16 DFB Cup under Pep Guardiola and is yet to lose in nine cup ties as a coach.
- Wirtz boats a team-leading 12 goal involvements so far this season, but none yet in the DFB Cup.
- Among active players, Thomas Müller is the DFB Cup's top scorer with 36 goals. Late Bayern legend and namesake Gerd holds the all-time record with 78.
Teams
Bayern: Neuer (c) - Laimer (Boey 73'), Upamecano, Kim (Tel 84'), Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka (Pavlović 73') - Sané (Peretz 19'), Musiala, Coman (Gnabry 73') - Olise
Unused subs: Dier, Ibrahimović, Guerreiro, Müller
Out: Ito (foot), Kane (hamstring), Palhinha (groin), Stanišić (knee), Ulreich (personal reasons)
Coach: Vincent Kompany
Leverkusen: Kovář - Mukiele (Arthur 61'), Tapsoba, Tah (c), Hincapié - Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich (Schick 46' (Tella 61')), Palacios, Grimaldo - Wirtz
Unused subs: Hrádecký, Terrier, Arthur, García, Stepanov, Onyeka, Belocian
Out: Adli (broken leg), Boniface (thigh), Hofmann (thigh)
Coach: Xabi Alonso
As it happened
0 - 1(0 - 0)
Bayern
FINAL
Leverkusen
90' +3
vs
Kovář crucial
Musiala wins a free-kic on the right, which Olise again delivers deep. The penalty box is crowded, including Bayern goalkeeper Peretz, who has come up as a Hail Mary. However, Kovář comes off his line to claim the ball in commanding fashion.
90' +1
vs
Added time
We're into the first of four minutes of stoppage time.
90'
vs
Wide from Upamecano!
Olise swings a corner from the right deep into the box. Upamecano gets there first, redirecting a header back across goal - but also wide of the post.
88'
vs
Vital from Kimmich
Bayern lose possession in midfield and Leverkusen immediately go forward with Frimpong down the left. His attempted cross into the middle is just behind Tella but Wirtz is there to nab possession. He could shoot but opts to cut back inside, just giving Kimmich the opportunity he needed to stick out a toe and prod the ball away.
85'
vs
Another attacker
Musiala, Olise, Gnabry, Pavlović and now Tel. Bayern have plenty of options going forward - will one of them find an equaliser in the five minutes we have left?
84'
vs
Mathys Tel
Minjae Kim
82'
vs
Gnabry making mischief!
Peretz smashes a long ball forward that Gnabry does brilliantly to bring down under pressure. He only has thoughts of driving towards goal but Tah sticks to him well and reads his intentions, sticking out a leg to block what would otherwise have been a dangerous shot.
81'
vs
Teasing cross
Xhaka drills a ball in from the left. It's a dangerous one, right across the face of goal. Davies takes no chances by flicking it out for a corner.
79'
vs
Frimpong up top
With no recognised striker on the pitch (again), Leverkusen have had to get creative with their line-up. Frimpong is the player furthest forward, presumably in the hope to use his electric pace on the counter as Bayern commit more numbers forward with the final whistle approaching.
74'
vs
Triple change
Vincent Kompany makes three substitutions as he goes for broke in the closing stages.
73'
vs
Serge Gnabry
Kingsley Coman
73'
vs
Aleksandar Pavlović
Leon Goretzka
73'
vs
Sacha Boey
Konrad Laimer
70'
vs
The breakthrough!
Grimaldo swings a cross from the left towards the back post and Tella - proving to be an inspired change by Alonso - heads in from close range!
65'
vs
Set piece danger
Kimmich has been taking everything for Bayern this evening and his deliveries from corners and free-kicks are causing plenty of trouble in the box. Could that be Bayern's route to victory?
61'
vs
Arthur
Nordi Mukiele
61'
vs
Nathan Tella
Patrik Schick
57'
vs
Schick down
He's only been on the pitch 12 minutes but Schick sinks to the turf with what looks to be a calf injury.
55'
vs
Bayern patient
It really is a sign of Bayern's quality and determination here that they're the better team. They haven't had any clear chances yet this half but they're stroking the ball around with the confidence of a side who know they'll score at some point.
51'
vs
Chance for Wirtz!
Frimpong scampers down the right wing to collect a long diagonal ball. He pulls it back to the edge of the area for Wirtz, who drags his first-time shot wide of the far post.
50'
vs
Similar pattern
Bayern have not eased off at all and appear to be sticking to the same game plan: go on the front foot and attack. They don't look like they're playing with a man less.
47'
vs
Just the one change
Andrich, who was on a yellow card and walking a tightrope after a couple of full-blooded tackles, is replaced by centre forward Schick.
46'
vs
Patrik Schick
Robert Andrich
46'
vs
Peeeeep!
Leverkusen get us going again at the Allianz Arena.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
0 - 0
Half-time
45' +2
vs
Xhaka with a big tackle
Laimer runs clear of the Leverkusen backline and will be one-on-one with Kovář... until Xhaka slides in with a brilliant last-ditch tackle to clear the danger.
45'
vs
Wirtz!
An incredible run from Wirtz, sprinting, wriggling and dribbling from the halfway line down the right before cutting inside, nutmegging a defender and getting a toe-poked shot away that Peretz does well to deflect out for a throw-in.
43'
vs
What a save!
Kimmich curls a free-kick from the right into the box and finds Goretzka, who leaps well above his marker to power a header at goal. Kovář reads it well though and dives to his right to make a fine save.
38'
vs
Pinball!
The ball sits up really nicely for Coman, arriving into the box on the left. It's calling out for a curling shot towards the far post but he doesn't strike it cleanly, his shot ricocheting off three Leverkusen defenders before it's cleared for a corner.
36'
vs
Counter-attacking style
Bayern have switched from dominating possession and having control to waiting for their moments in transition. With the pace of Olise, Coman and Musiala they've got the tools to do the damage. Andrich recognises as much as he trips the former from behind to nip an attack in the bud.
34'
vs
Grimaldo to the rescue!
It's end-to-end stuff now as Bayern break forward in numbers. Laimer plays a teasing ball into the middle but Grimaldo reads the danger and slides in to nick the ball off Coman's foot.
33'
vs
Frimpong!
Wirtz scurries forward down the middle and with the defenders backing off him, the youngster can slide the ball to his left for Frimpong. He shoots but Peretz makes a fine save with his foot.
32'
vs
Laimer in behind!
Tah loses the ball to Laimer wide on the right, close to his own penalty area. Laimer plays a quick one-two with Musiala and suddenly finds himself behind the Leverkusen defence. There's nobody in the middle for him to aim for though so he has to shoot from a tight angle - but only finds the side netting!
29'
vs
Mukiele has a go
Cutting in from the right at pace, Mukiele sends a low, bobbing shot at goal that rolls just wide of the near post.
23'
vs
Fiesty
Leverkusen were second best up until Neuer's sending off but it's galvanised them into action. They're now fighting with proper determination, sensing their chance to knock out the Bundesliga leaders.
20'
vs
Off the wall!
Grimaldo takes the ensuing free-kick following Neuer's foul, around 25 yards from goal. The Spaniard strikes it well but it hits Goretzka in the wall and flies out for a corner.
20'
vs
All change
Neuer offers his apologies to head coach Kompany and Sané, who is taken off the field in order for Peretz to come on in goal.
19'
vs
Daniel Peretz
Leroy Sané
17'
vs
NEUER SENT OFF!
Wow. Frimpong's pace takes him beyond the Bayern defence as he chases a long ball. Neuer comes charging out of his box but doesn't make contact with the ball at all, instead body-checking Frimpong to the ground. The referee doesn't hesitate in showing Neuer a straight red card.
11'
vs
Wide from Wirtz!
You'd usually fancy Wirtz to score from here! Frimpong is muscled off the ball by a combination of Laimer and Kim but they don't clear it properly and it falls to the feet of Wirtz on the edge of the box. All by himself, he lines up a shot but drags it wide of the near post!
7'
vs
Coman has a go
The first shot of the game falls Bayern's way but Coman's curler is well saved by Kovář.
5'
vs
Formation change
With no Kane to lead the line and his most obvious replacement, Thomas Müller, on the bench, Bayern look to be playing a 4-2-4 formation, with Sané wide on the right, Coman on the opposite flank, and Musiala and Olise playing more centrally.
3'
vs
Hosts in charge
Bayern are hogging the ball in these early stages as they push for an early goal. Leverkusen look well organised at the back though and are standing firm.
1'
vs
Peeeeeeep!
Bayern, decked out all in red, get us under way at the Allianz Arena!
0 - 0
Kick-off!
76s
vs
Watch: The best of Florian Wirtz
How will Leverkusen fare playing in what, on paper at least, appears to be an unfamiliar formation without a recognised centre-forward in the shape of Boniface or Schick. Here's what Wirtz brings to the table at any rate...
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More on Bayern's team
The big news is that Harry Kane is out with a hamstring injury picked up in Der Klassiker. It looks like Michael Olise is tasked with deputising at No.9, with Thomas Müller on the bench and Serge Gnabry nursing a knee injury.