Bayer Leverkusen stun Bayern Munich with 3-0 win to extend Bundesliga lead

Bayer Leverkusen delivered a stunning performance to beat Bayern Munich 3-0 at the BayArena on Saturday and move five points clear of the defending champions at the top of the Bundesliga table.

The hosts took the lead in the 18th minute when Josip Stanisic, on loan from Bayern, scored from close range after a cross from Robert Andrich. Bayern struggled to create any clear chances and were frustrated by Leverkusen's solid defence and energetic pressing.

The second half saw more of the same, as Leverkusen doubled their advantage in the 50th minute with a superb goal from Alejandro Grimaldo, who exchanged a one-two with Nathan Tella and fired past Manuel Neuer. Grimaldo almost scored again minutes later, but his curling free-kick hit the crossbar.

Bayern pushed forward in search of a lifeline, but Leverkusen were always dangerous on the counter-attack and sealed the victory in stoppage time when substitute Jeremie Frimpong ran onto a long ball and slotted into an empty net, with Neuer having gone up for a corner.

The result was a huge blow for Bayern, who suffered their first defeat under Thomas Tuchel and their first in the league since November. They also failed to register a single shot on target for the first time in eight years in the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, celebrated their 13th win in 21 games and extended their unbeaten run to 15 matches in all competitions. They also became the first team to score three goals against Bayern in the league since Hoffenheim in September 2017.

Xabi Alonso, the Leverkusen coach, praised his team's performance and said they deserved the win. He also said he was happy to see Stanisic score against his parent club, but added that there was still a long way to go in the title race.

Tuchel, on the other hand, admitted that his team were outplayed and outclassed by Leverkusen and said they had to improve quickly. He also said he was not concerned by the gap at the top, but rather by the quality of their display.

The two teams will meet again in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals on March 1, with Bayern hoping to avenge their defeat and keep their hopes of a domestic double alive. Leverkusen, however, will be confident of repeating their feat and reaching the last four of the cup.