Where does Bayern Munich stand after the 0-1 defeat against rivals Leverkusen?

Bayern Munich has been eliminated from the DFB Cup. On Tuesday, the record champions lost 1-0 to rivals Bayer Leverkusen in the sold-out Allianz Arena in Munich thanks to a goal from Nathan Tella (69th). Bayern Munich were reduced to ten men after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was sent off for a red card in the first half.

Neuer received a red card after tackling Jeremie Frimpong outside the penalty area. The Dutchman would have missed the goal and since Neuer prevented a clear chance to score, referee Harm Osmers’ decision had only serious consequences.

“The sending off hurt,” Neuer said after the game when asked about his first red card after 864 games in his career. “I wasn’t trying to hurt him; I tried to get the ball but didn’t get there in time. I was hoping he would be offside. I can’t change that now. It was a mistake, and I have to accept it; Unfortunately, I have no other choice.”

Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany then replaced Leroy Sané with second goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. Leverkusen then had a few opportunities to take the lead, but Bayern would actually take control of this game.

Despite being outnumbered, Bayern had 58% ball possession and 14 to 11 shots on goal. The record champions also completed more passes, had more corners and was more successful in one-on-one situations. In fact, at times it almost felt as if Leverkusen had sent off a player and not Bayern.

“The first feeling is the fact that we lost the cup this season and we won’t win it,” Kompany said after the game. “The second feeling is that this performance was special. With ten men, we didn’t just wait and hope. We were proactive and positive. If we continue like this, we will win a lot of games – even if we don’t win this cup.”

Kompany’s captain agreed. “The red card was not the decisive point and that is no excuse,” said Joshua Kimmich. “We couldn’t have been much better or more dominant even with eleven men. We didn’t take our chances, especially from set pieces.”, and we didn’t defend the penalty area properly in the goal situation. If you look at our performance, we can’t blame ourselves for much other than not taking our chances, but That doesn’t change anything now.”

Not taking advantage of opportunities has been an issue for Bayern for a long time. And it wouldn’t have been much easier without star striker Harry Kane, who missed the game because of a torn hamstring he suffered in the classic against Dortmund at the weekend.

In fact, Bayern struggled to score in big games even when Kane was on the pitch. In the last six games across all competitions, Bayern have scored more than once in just one game: a 3-0 win over Augsburg. The other five results were a 1-0 win over Benfica and PSG in the Champions League, a 1-0 win over St. Pauli and a 1-1 draw against Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

“The first title is gone, that hurts and is annoying,” said Kimmich, before pointing out the difficulties in top games. “When I look at the results in the top games, it’s sobering. But I still think we’re on the right track.”

There is a consensus at FC Bayern that the club is on the right path. Whether it’s the players or the big bosses, the mood around Vincent Kompany is generally positive.

Comparing the results with last season is also sobering. FC Bayern is two points behind the pace that Thomas Tuchel set in the Bundesliga at the same time. In contrast to last year, Bayern lost two games in the Champions League and, like last year, were eliminated from the second round of the DFB Cup.

Where is the club then? Kompany has undoubtedly improved the defense and created a more positive environment. But without scoring goals in big games, Bayern will struggle to win big games when the trophy is presented in May.