Bayern Munich Escape with Unexpected Loss While Bayer Leverkusen Suffers Defeat in Bundesliga

A 10-man Bayern Munich suffered a surprising 3-2 home defeat to Bochum on Saturday, while title contenders Bayer Leverkusen were also upset 2-0 by Werder Bremen. Despite the loss, only Bayern's second of the season, the team still maintains an eight-point lead over defending champions Leverkusen with just nine games left to play. Leverkusen's troubles were compounded by an injury to key midfielder Florian Wirtz, who was forced to leave the game after a rough challenge, playing only 14 minutes in the second half. Looking ahead to the Champions League last 16 return leg against Leverkusen on Tuesday, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany opted for a heavily rotated lineup, even choosing to keep star striker Harry Kane on the bench.

Bayern midfielder Raphael Guerreiro's 14th minute goal, when the Portuguese hammered a loose ball into the net, had Bayern on track before Serge Gnabry missed a 21st-minute penalty.

With Kane, who has converted his past 30 penalties in a row, sitting on the bench, Gnabry stepped up but hit the ball against the post.

Guerreiro however scored again with a rare header on the 28-minute mark, just three minutes before Bochum's Jakov Medic pulled one back with an unstoppable rocket.

Bochum were given hope when Bayern's Joao Palhinha saw red for sinking his studs into Giorgos Masouras's ankle just before half-time.

Ibrahima Sissoko headed Bochum level six minutes into the second half and Matus Bero put the underdogs in front 71 minutes in, going the length of the field to knock in a Philipp Hofmann pass.

Bochum's surprise victory, their first win in Munich since 1991, took them three points clear of the automatic relegation placings.

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"There are no excuses -- we lost," Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said, adding "even with 10 men, we should at least have the expectation of avoiding defeat."

Leverkusen were down after just seven minutes when Romano Schmid tapped in from close range.

With Leverkusen failing to click, coach Xabi Alonso brought Wirtz from the bench at halftime, but the Germany midfielder was brutally fouled eight minutes afterwards and limped from the field and left the arena on crutches.

Any injury to Wirtz, the club's talisman and best player this season, would be a serious blow to Alonso's side, particularly ahead of Tuesday's Champions League match against Bayern, who hold a 3-0 lead from the first leg.

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"We'll have to wait and see," Alonso said after the match, adding "we don't have any results yet."

Bremen's Mitchell Weiser, who fouled the Germany midfielder, apologised after the match, saying "I hope it's not that bad -- I'm lucky it wasn't a red card."

Borussia Dortmund's slim chances of reaching the top four took a hit with a 1-0 home loss to Augsburg, with Jeffrey Gouweleeuw's first half header the only goal in the game.

Dortmund were toothless in attack and offered little against an in-form Augsburg, who have conceded just three goals in the league in 2025 -- the best mark in Europe.

Dortmund, last season's Champions League finalists, sit 10th in the league, seven points off the top four.

Elsewhere, St Pauli scored their first goal in five matches in a 1-1 draw at Wolfsburg, going two points clear of the relegation playoff spot.

Fellow promoted side Holstein Kiel also picked up a point with a hard-fought 2-2 home win over Stuttgart.

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Later on Saturday, Freiburg host RB Leipzig.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)