Nicolas Jackson sees red for horrific tackle before Luis Diaz gets second yellow card in feisty clash between Bayern and Bayer Leverkusen

The turning point arrived in the 41st minute when Jackson committed a reckless challenge on Martin Terrier in the centre circle. Initially shown a yellow card, the decision was upgraded to a straight red after a VAR review showed a heavy stamp on Terrier’s ankle. The dismissal forced Bayern to play with ten men while trailing.

Leverkusen took the lead after just six minutes when Luis Diaz was dispossessed by Montrell Culbreath. The winger played a ball to Patrik Schick, who threaded it to Aleix Garcia; his deflected strike left Sven Ulreich with no chance. For Garcia, it was his second Bundesliga goal of the campaign. Despite Bayern enjoying nearly 70 per cent of the ball, they struggled to pierce a disciplined backline, with Jackson dragging their first real chance wide.

Frustration grew for the visitors in the 26th minute when they thought they had equalised. Joshua Kimmich’s free-kick was flicked on by Ernest Poku, striking Jonathan Tah’s arm before rebounding into the net. However, the celebrations were short-lived as referee Christian Dingert reviewed the VAR footage and officially chalked the goal off for handball. Shortly after, Tah received a yellow card against his former club, earning a suspension for his next match.

Leverkusen remained the aggressors through four minutes of additional time, stretching the makeshift Bayern shape as the first half ended with a 1-0 lead for the hosts. The momentum shifted heavily in favour of the Werkself, but the visitors soon pulled back. They saw a goal from substitute Harry Kane ruled out immediately after he came on after the hour mark. Then Luis Diaz managed to find the net for Vincent Kompany's side to keep them in the game. However, he was also subsequently dismissed with a second yellow card for diving in the 84th minute and the game went on to finish 1-1 after VAR ruled out a late winner for Leverkusen.