Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany and his squad expressed strong disapproval of the referee’s decision to send off Luis Díaz during Saturday’s match against Bayer Leverkusen, with the referee later acknowledging he had erred.
Bayern managed to secure a 1-1 draw despite playing with just nine men in the Bundesliga clash, as Harry Kane returned from injury.
Díaz, who equalized following Aleix García‘s opening goal, was given a second yellow card for diving in the 84th minute. Nicolas Jackson also received a straight red card for a reckless tackle in the 42nd minute.
After the match, referee Christian Dingert admitted to broadcaster Sky Sport that sending off Díaz was an incorrect decision upon reviewing the replay.
“The Luis Díaz situation is never a second yellow card; it’s simply not a yellow card,” Kompany stated. “We can discuss whether it was a penalty, but there was contact.” He added, “If you see his reaction afterward, he immediately stands up—he can’t be more genuine. He falls due to the contact, gets back up, and then is issued a second yellow, leading to his suspension for the next game.”
Leverkusen took the lead in the sixth minute when 18-year-old German-American winger Montrell Culbreath intercepted the ball from Díaz and passed it to Patrik Schick, who set up García to score with a deflected effort.
Despite their attempts to mount a comeback, Bayern struggled against Leverkusen’s defense, and their frustrations culminated in Jackson’s red card just before halftime for a late challenge on Martin Terrier.
Bayern relied on their third-choice goalkeeper Sven Ulreich due to Manuel Neuer suffering from a calf injury and backup Jonas Urbig being sidelined with a concussion. Ulreich made a crucial one-on-one save against Schick just before Kane made his entrance.
“The guys know me well and trust me when I’m needed,” Ulreich commented. “You could feel the confidence in training this week. We have a strong bond among the goalkeepers. Both Manuel and Jonas reached out to me before the match to wish me well, which was great.” He added, “There’s excellent harmony within our goalkeeping group, and I’m glad to be a part of it and this team.”
Kane came back from his calf injury, marking his return since February 28, after having scored eight goals in his previous four Bundesliga matches. He netted what seemed like a goal in the 62nd minute, only for it to be disallowed for interfering with the goalkeeper’s clearance by using his hand.
Díaz equalized in the 69th minute with a low shot set up by Michael Olise. After Díaz was shown a second yellow card, Bayern was down to nine players with six minutes left in the match. The home side pushed hard for a winner but failed to capitalize, with Jonas Hofmann‘s late goal being ruled out in stoppage time.
“I’m incredibly proud of the mental strength the team displayed today,” Kompany reflected. “There was an immense amount happening during the match.”
Bayern has not claimed a league victory at Leverkusen since October 2021 and will face them again next month in a German Cup semifinal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.