Neuer ruined everything. Kim Minjae failed to win...Munich lost to Leverkusen in the round of 16 at the Pokal Cup by 0-1 shock → disgraced for 2 consecutive seasons

Dec 04, 2024

Bayern Munich did not even reach the final in the German Football Confederation Pokal Cup for the second consecutive season. Manuel Neuer's exit in the 17th minute of the first half was crucial. Kim Min-jae showed better performance than usual, but he could not prevent his team's defeat.

Bayern Munich blew their chance to win because of Manuel Neuer's disappointing play. Kim Min-jae's struggle did not see the light.

Bayern was eliminated from the tournament after losing 0-1 to Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 of the German Football Federation (DFB) Pokal Cup in 2024-2025 at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on the 4th (Korea time).

Bayern had a power leak. The main catcher Harry Kane suffered a hamstring injury, causing concerns about the scorer. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany's choice was Jamal Musiala Zero Top. Leroy Sane, Michael Olise and Kingsley Coman were placed in the second line. Yozua Kimmich and Leon Solidzka were in charge of the third term. Konrad Reimer, Dayo Upamecano, and Alfonso Davis, who have recently continued to work together with Kim Min-jae, formed the defense. Neuer defended the goal.

Leverkusen was also unable to play due to injuries to Victor Boniface, a key striker. Leverkusen also chose an orthodox striker-free tactic. I put Florian Birtz at the front. Jeremy Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, Robert Andrich, Ezequiel Palacios and Alejandro Grimaldo were placed in the midfield. The defense matched Nordi Mukiele, Yonatanta, Edmond Topsova and Piero Incapiero. Mattei Kovar was in charge of the goal.

Bayern opened with a surprise mid-range shot by Comang in the 7th minute of the first half. Leverkusen also fought back quickly. After Kim Min-jae defended Frimpong in the 11th minute of the first half, Upamecano failed to handle the ball properly. Birtz had a shot opportunity, but he went off the side of the net.

An accident occurred in the 17th minute of the first half when the tight balance continued. In the last room, another stabbed the running primpong. At this time, Neuer ran out and tried to stop Frimpong, but he committed a foul. The referee immediately sent Neuer off. It seems that he intentionally cut off the clear scoring opportunity. In the end, Bayern had no choice but to put in goalkeeper Daniel Partz without Sane.

Bayern, which was outnumbered, found it difficult to take the lead. In the 29th minute of the first half, Mukiele came out of the overlap and dug himself into the center and even tried to shoot. Bayern didn't give up on aggressive mode either. After bringing the ball through pressure in the 32nd minute of the first half, Musiala stabbed Reimer. Reimer's shot from the square hit the side net.

Bayern was in crisis in the 32nd minute of the first half. Kim Min-jae handled the ball as he defended. Later, Birz caught the ball as his teammates couldn't handle it. Kim Min-jae was unable to block both Birtz and Tapsova, giving Tapsova a decisive chance. However, Partz saved on his toes and escaped the crisis.

Bayern had to fight back with a set piece. In the 34th minute of the first half, Coman's header headed over the net. Bayern also created a shot opportunity for Comang in the 38th minute of the first half, but was blocked by hand-to-hand defense. In the 43rd minute of the first half, Koretska's header was blocked by the goalkeeper. Bayern showed competitiveness despite its numerical inferiority, but it did not lead to a goal. Just before the end of the first half, Kim Min-jae momentarily went up to the penalty box and attempted a decisive header, but missed the side of the net. Kim Min-jae also roared passionately, as if he was disappointed. The first half ended like this.

In the second half, Birtz continued to threaten Bayern. Birz's shot, which received Frimpong's cutback in the sixth minute of the second half, slightly missed the post.

In the end, Leverkusen scored the first goal. Grimaldo's cross came up fantastic in the 14th minute of the second half, and Nathan Teller finished with a neat header. Alfonso Davis' defense, which missed Teller, was a shame. Bayern had no choice but to continue the game with difficulty as Leverkusen's atmosphere revived after scoring.

Bayern put in Matistel without Kim Min-jae in the 39th minute of the second half. It was Kompany's choice to aim for the last miracle. However, Bayern found it difficult to create a scoring machine, and in the end, no miracle happened. Bayern failed to advance to the quarterfinals of the Pokal Cup for the second consecutive season. Neuer's exit was a difficult variable to overcome.

After the game, German media also blasted Neuer. Germany's TZ gave Neuer the lowest rating of six points. "Noyer came under no attack 17 minutes after the start of the game, and his time was over. Rhymer was next to him, but he ran out and couldn't catch the ball and hit the frimpong. He was sent off, and he harmed the team." He pointed to Neuer as the main culprit behind the loss.

Kim Min-jae received the second highest rating after Kim Mi-hee with a rating of 3. TZ advanced with an uncompromising defense and a precise long pass. He did not criticize Kim Min-jae, saying, "I missed a header just before half-time."

Germany's AZ also gave Neuer the lowest rating of six points. "It was the right decision of the chief judge. Neuer took too many risks. Even though Rhymer was running. Neuer was sent off for the first time in 866 professional games. It is very bitter for Neuer and Bayern." Kim Min-jae was rated 4 points.

Bayern is forced to focus only on the German Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League (UCL) as it was eliminated from the Pokal Cup. The Bundesliga seems to be able to win the league as it cruises, but it is not expected that winning the UCL will be easy unless it improves its jagged offense recently.Kim Min-jae's first victory in Bayern's transfer is not as easy as expected.