VfL Bochum pulled off a sensational comeback to end Bayern Munich’s 11-game home winning streak, sealing a dramatic 3-2 victory at the Allianz Arena.
The Bundesliga leaders raced into a two-goal lead, but a red card for João Palhinha shifted the momentum, allowing Bochum to mount an extraordinary fightback. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen squandered a golden opportunity to close the gap at the top, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Werder Bremen in a night of Bundesliga chaos.
Bayern, fresh off a dominant 3-0 Champions League win over Leverkusen, made ten changes to their starting XI but still found an early breakthrough. Raphaël Guerreiro’s moment of brilliance in the 14th minute an instinctive strike off the underside of the bar, put the hosts ahead. Serge Gnabry then missed a penalty before Guerreiro doubled the lead, nodding home after intelligent play from Thomas Müller.
Bochum looked destined for another fruitless outing in Munich, having not scored an away goal at Bayern since 2010. But Jakov Medić ignited the comeback, rifling in a loose ball from a corner. The turning point came moments before halftime when Palhinha saw red for a high challenge on Georgios Masouras, leaving Bayern with ten men for the entire second half.
Bochum wasted no time exploiting their numerical advantage. Ibrahima Sissoko levelled the score with a towering header from Felix Passlack’s cross, setting the stage for an intense final half-hour.
Bayern briefly threatened through Guerreiro, but their attacking rhythm was disrupted by a flurry of substitutions. Then, with 20 minutes left, Bero broke through the middle and slotted home, completing a stunning turnaround.
The result lifts Bochum out of the bottom two, securing a crucial three points in their survival fight. Bayern, meanwhile, remain eight points clear at the top, but their lead could have been cut had Leverkusen capitalized.
At the BayArena, Xabi Alonso’s side suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since May 2023, falling 2-0 to Werder Bremen. A disjointed first half saw them fall behind early, with Romano Schmid finishing off a well-worked move after just seven minutes.
Florian Wirtz who scored a hat-trick in last season’s 5-0 win over Bremen, started on the bench but was introduced at halftime. His return was short-lived, as he limped off injured just 15 minutes later. Leverkusen struggled to create clear chances, despite late pressure from Exequiel Palacios, whose long-range efforts forced two fine saves from Michael Zetterer.
Bremen sealed the win deep into stoppage time when Justin Njinmah finished off a counterattack, securing just their second victory in 11 games. Leverkusen, now eight points adrift, must regroup quickly as they prepare to face Bayern in midweek in the Champions League in what is now a must-win clash if they are to keep their title hopes alive.
