Nine-man Bayern hang on for draw at Leverkusen as lead reduces to nine points

[p]While [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern[/a] were emphatic 6-1 winners over Atalanta in midweek UEFA Champions League action, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Leverkusen[/a] suffered late heartbreak en route to a 1-1 draw with Arsenal - their fourth stalemate in five games across all competitions.[/p][p]Die Werkself quickly looked to restore their positivity and raced into the lead here inside six minutes, albeit in fortuitous fashion.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/culbreath-montrell/dzS5hfkh/"]Montrell Culbreath[/a] dispossessed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diaz-luis/SKjMUHVm/"]Luis Diaz[/a] and started a counter-attack led by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schick-patrik/WzQQSSfc/"]Patrik Schick[/a], who fed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garcia-aleix/QD7noPXB/"]Aleix Garcia[/a]; the Spaniard’s shot appeared tame, but a wicked deflection off former Leverkusen defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tah-jonathan/2yf8EcuE/"]Jonathan Tah[/a] saw the ball loop over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ulreich-sven/8CE8Sho8/"]Sven Ulreich[/a] and into the net.[/b][/p][embed guid="f8600fbd-9615-453e-937e-e1f60ad89c90" url="https://x.com/bayer04_en/status/2032829260667240557" social-type="twitter" /][p]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 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jackson-nicolas/jXg8d5RJ/"]Nicolas Jackson[/a] seeing two efforts fail to trouble [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blaswich-janis/8WPrgkw2/"]Janis Blaswich[/a].[/p][p]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 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/terrier-martin/xlu6948L/"]Martin Terrier[/a].[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="a0dd165f-ef18-4874-9596-db1246b31a6a" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="2b0d73bb-1759-46ef-be96-4da0711b0d81" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]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 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] from the bench.[/p][p]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.[/p][p]Die Werkself responded in kind and had two glorious chances to double their advantage, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tillman-malik/pGHnblVn/"]Malik Tillman[/a] narrowly fired wide before Schick was denied by the onrushing Ulreich.[/p][p]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.[/p][p][b]That proved only a temporary reprieve, as Bayern finally got back on level terms in the 69th minute. A dreadful square pass from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andrich-robert/zDjAwp82/"]Robert Andrich[/a] was seized on by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olise-michael/E5pvwqkK/"]Michael Olise[/a], who picked out Diaz to slot into the bottom corner.[/b][/p][embed guid="d649fd7d-01f9-476f-9858-7f0ee86a7c96" url="https://x.com/FCBayernEN/status/2032852748484362247" social-type="twitter" /][p]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.[/p][p]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 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maza-ibrahim/zPa6aAD8/"]Ibrahim Maza[/a] and Tillman denied by Ulreich, before VAR chalked off a late [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hofmann-jonas/xvCz3Gwd/"]Jonas Hofmann[/a] strike for the tightest of offside calls.[/p][p]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.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/culbreath-montrell/dzS5hfkh/"]Montrell Culbreath[/a] (Bayer)[/b][/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="494816c3-f855-4ffa-aa67-55c6c5efe3af" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="adadee8f-fac6-49f8-ad12-11535a6099c9" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bayer-leverkusen-4jcj2zMd/bayern-munich-nVp0wiqd/summary/stats/?mid=AqZxvfGl"]Catch up on the stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]