Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella were unable to rescue Bayer Leverkusen as the defending champions suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup semi-final, on Tuesday.
Boniface started the match on the bench but was introduced in the 53rd minute, while Tella made his return from injury with a brief 14-minute cameo.
However, neither player could turn the tide as Leverkusen saw their dream of back-to-back titles crumble against a resilient Bielefeld side.
Xabi Alonso’s men, overwhelming favourites to retain the title, saw their dream shattered by a determined Bielefeld side that refused to be intimidated.
Alonso’s men had never lost a German Cup match under his leadership and looked set for another routine victory when Jonathan Tah opened the scoring in the 17th minute.
However, their lead lasted just three minutes before Marius Wörl capitalized on sloppy defending to equalize for Bielefeld.
Despite Leverkusen’s attacking options, the hosts continued to grow in confidence.
Hrádecký kept them in the game with a spectacular save in the 26th minute, blocking Sarenren Bazee’s point-blank effort.
However, Bielefeld’s persistence paid off just before halftime when Maximilian Grosser smashed in a close-range volley to complete the turnaround.
Leverkusen pushed for an equalizer in the second half, but Bielefeld’s disciplined defence held firm.
Boniface, who had been in fine form with a goal against Bochum in his previous match, failed to influence the game, while Tella’s return was overshadowed by the intensity of Bielefeld’s defensive display.
Having secured the league and cup double last season without a single defeat, Leverkusen now find themselves in a challenging position.
They sit second in the Bundesliga, six points behind leaders Bayern Munich with seven matches remaining.
