German Cup: Leverkusen Knock Out Bayern, Stuttgart Advance

Bayer Leverkusen pulls off a stunning 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the German Cup, while Stuttgart and Werder Bremen also advance to the quarter-finals, setting up exciting matchups in the competition.

Bayern Munich's German Cup campaign came to an abrupt end as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen. The decisive moment came in the second half, courtesy of Nathan Tella's goal, but the match was also marked by a significant milestone for Bayern's veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

In a shocking turn of events, Neuer received the first red card of his illustrious 866-game career. The 38-year-old goalkeeper, known for his aggressive playing style, rushed out of the box and fouled Jeremie Frimpong, who was making a run towards goal, just 18 minutes into the match. The straight red card was a career-first for Neuer, highlighting the intensity of the German Cup last-16 clash.

The dismissal of Manuel Neuer had significant consequences for Bayern Munich, as it marked the debut of Israel goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, who joined the club 18 months prior. Peretz's introduction was necessitated by Neuer's red card, which also forced Bayern to play with a numerical disadvantage for the remainder of the match.

Despite being a man down, Bayern Munich demonstrated resilience, dominating possession as Leverkusen adopted a defensive stance, opting to counter-attack. The visitors' persistence eventually paid off in the 69th minute when Nathan Tella, who had been on the field for merely eight minutes, scored the decisive goal. Tella, standing at 1.72 meters, headed in an Alex Grimaldo cross, capitalizing on his opportunity after replacing the injured Patrik Schick, who himself had been substituted in at halftime.

In a thrilling conclusion, Crystal Palace's home winger Michael Olise narrowly missed an equalizer, striking the ball inches wide in the fourth minute of stoppage time. However, Bayer Leverkusen managed to hold on, securing a historic victory that marked the first domestic defeat of Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich career.

The win propels Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen, last season's unbeaten league and cup double champions, into the quarter-finals. Bayern Munich, 20-time German Cup winners, have not advanced beyond the quarter-final stage since their 2020 triumph over Leverkusen. Meanwhile, Werder Bremen edged Darmstadt 1-0, thanks to Anthony Jung's stoppage-time goal, booking their spot in the quarter-finals.

VfB Stuttgart secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Regensburg to advance to the German Cup quarter-finals. The three-time winners asserted their dominance from the outset, taking the lead in the 10th minute through Enzo Millot's skillful individual effort.

Stuttgart doubled their advantage just nine minutes later, courtesy of Anrie Chase's header from a free-kick. The Japanese defender's first goal for the club further solidified their grip on the match. Nick Woltemade put the result beyond doubt, breaking through and rounding the goalkeeper to score Stuttgart's third goal, ensuring their progression to the last eight.

Freiburg, the 2022 German Cup finalists, were strong favorites against third-division Arminia Bielefeld but suffered a stunning upset. The match began promisingly for Freiburg, with Michael Gregoritsch earning a penalty in the 15th minute after being fouled by Maximilian Grosser. However, Florent Muslija's weak shot was easily saved by the goalkeeper, squandering the opportunity.

Arminia Bielefeld seized the initiative, taking the lead through Christopher Lannert's exceptional long-range strike in the 28th minute. The hosts doubled their advantage nine minutes before halftime, as Julian Kania confidently converted a penalty awarded after Gregoritsch's foul. Although Gregoritsch pulled a goal back for Freiburg after the hour mark, Louis Oppie's strike nine minutes from full-time sealed the victory for Bielefeld.

On Wednesday, attention turns to the clash between RB Leipzig, the 2022 and 2023 German Cup winners, and five-time champions Eintracht Frankfurt, as they face off in the competition.