It took one VAR check for Bayer Leverkusen’s Sunday afternoon in Sinsheim to turn on them. Edmond Tapsoba’s challenge on Fisnik Asllani in the box, upgraded to a penalty on 79 minutes, opened the game Hoffenheim had been chasing.

Andrej Kramarić, on as a substitute after 65 minutes, converted from the spot. The finish was also the 1,000th Bundesliga goal in Hoffenheim’s history.

Alexander Prass added the second on 89 minutes and was promptly sent off for pulling his shirt over his head, a second yellow that reduced Hoffenheim to ten with the game already won. Max Moerstedt still had time to add a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

The 3-0 defeat ended Leverkusen’s five-game unbeaten run and gave Hoffenheim their first clean sheet of the 2026-27 season. Carles Martínez’s side had around 58 percent possession and nine attempts on goal, but only one of those was on target.

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Bayern pull clear without their manager

Hours earlier at the Europa-Park Stadion, Bayern Munich had already done their half of the work. Dayot Upamecano headed them ahead on 16 minutes, Serge Gnabry doubled the lead on 42, and Michael Olise sealed it with a goal in the 95th minute after Tom Bischof’s own goal in the 82nd had set up a nervous finish for the visitors.

It was Bayern’s first match since manager Vincent Kompany was admitted to the hospital after collapsing at the club’s training ground on 23 October following a viral illness. Assistant Aaron Danks took the dugout at Freiburg.

Danks told reporters that Kompany was “in good spirits” and getting better day by day, though sporting director Max Eberl has said the Belgian’s absence will be measured in weeks rather than days.

Danks did it without six other first-team names on top of Kompany. Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala, Luis Díaz, Kim Min-jae, Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović all missed the trip to the Breisgau, and he still took the three points home.

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Leverkusen slide to fourth

Bayern now lead the Bundesliga on 17 points from seven games, level with Borussia Dortmund but ahead on goal difference. Leverkusen have slipped to fourth on 13 points, behind Freiburg on the same tally. Christian Ilzer’s Hoffenheim side move up to 9 points.

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