Manuel Neuer admits he made a costly mistake after being sent off as Bayern Munich exited the DFB-Pokal at the last 16 stage with a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
The veteran goalkeeper was shown a straight red card in the 17th minute with the match goalless as he fouled Jeremy Frimpong outside his penalty area.
It was the first time Neuer had been dismissed in his illustrious career and Leverkusen took full advantage thanks to Nathan Tella's 69th-minute winner.
Neuer said after Tuesday's match at the Allianz Arena: “I tried to get to the ball but I didn't get there in time.
“I hoped he would be in an offside position. I can't change it now. It was a mistake and I have to accept it.”
Bayern have won the competition 20 times but have failed to progress past the quarter-finals since they last lifted the cup in 2020.
The Bavarians are four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and are thirteenth in the Champions League group stages in Vincent Kompany's first season in charge.
The cross. The head. Silencing the crowd pic.twitter.com/XjSFurASFr
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) December 4, 2024
Despite the defeat, which was caused by the absence of injured top scorer Harry Kane, head coach Kompany remains optimistic for the remainder of the season.
“The fact is that we lost and will not win the cup this season,” he said. “But we know from experience that this was also a special achievement for us.
“If this feeling continues, we will win a lot of games, but we can't win this cup anymore.
“It's bitter for us. We won't have a good evening. But if this energy continues, we will win many more games. This team can continue to grow and we will have our moments.”
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