While Bayern were emphatic 6-1 winners over Atalanta in midweek UEFA Champions League action, Leverkusen suffered late heartbreak en route to a 1-1 draw with Arsenal - their fourth stalemate in five games across all competitions.
Die Werkself quickly looked to restore their positivity and raced into the lead here inside six minutes, albeit in fortuitous fashion.
Montrell Culbreath dispossessed Luis Diaz and started a counter-attack led by Patrik Schick, who fed Aleix Garcia; the Spaniard’s shot appeared tame, but a wicked deflection off former Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah saw the ball loop over Sven Ulreich and into the net.
Bayern had avoided defeat in all of the prior seven league games they conceded first in this term, and while they exerted consistent pressure in response to falling behind, clear-cut chances were fleeting with Nicolas Jackson seeing two efforts fail to trouble Janis Blaswich.
Tah had the ball in the back of the net at his old ground only to see his would-be equaliser chalked off for handball, before the challenge faced by Vincent Kompany’s men increased in difficulty yet further, with Jackson sent off for a late challenge on Martin Terrier.
He’s the first Bayern player to be sent off in a Bundesliga game in over a year, with a challenge that ultimately forced Terrier off at the break, and perhaps delayed the introduction of Harry Kane from the bench.
Bayern’s second-top scorer Diaz ought to have equalised in the early stages of the second half, but he slipped at the crucial moment and scuffed his effort off target.
Die Werkself responded in kind and had two glorious chances to double their advantage, but Malik Tillman narrowly fired wide before Schick was denied by the onrushing Ulreich.
Those misses looked costly when Harry Kane turned into an empty net less than a minute after coming off the bench, but his strike was ruled out for a handball by the Englishman in the build-up.
That proved only a temporary reprieve, as Bayern finally got back on level terms in the 69th minute. A dreadful square pass from Robert Andrich was seized on by Michael Olise, who picked out Diaz to slot into the bottom corner.
The Colombian went from hero to zero in the closing stages, though, receiving a second yellow card for simulation, leaving the visitors reduced to nine men.
It’s the first time that Bayern have seen two players sent off in a Bundesliga game since April 2001, and it very nearly cost them with Ibrahim Maza and Tillman denied by Ulreich, before VAR chalked off a late Jonas Hofmann strike for the tightest of offside calls.
The visitors therefore held on to stretch their unbeaten run in Bundesliga away games to 22 matches. It’s a missed opportunity for Leverkusen, who are two points outside of the top four, having played a game more than the two sides above them.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Montrell Culbreath (Bayer)
