Bayern Munich usually deals out the thrashings in Germany, not the other way around.
The Bavarian powerhouse got a taste of its own medicine on Wednesday when Borussia Monchengladbach knocked Bayern out of the German Cup with a fully deserved 5-0 victory in front of its ecstatic fans.
It was Bayern’s biggest ever defeat in the competition, the first time it conceded five goals in the German Cup since the 2012 final, when Borussia Dortmund wrapped up a domestic league and cup double with a 5-2 win.
Bayern responded by winning the league, cup and Champions League treble the following year and every league title since.
Gladbach raced into an early three-goal lead with Kouadio Kone opening the scoring in the second minute, Ramy Bensebaini adding another goal in the 15th and then converting a penalty in the 21st.
It could have been more with the home team also missing two good chances in between.
It was the 35th minute before Bayern managed a shot at goal, with Serge Gnabry testing Yann Sommer in the Gladbach goal.
Leon Goretzka forced a good save from Sommer after the break, but Bayern’s revival was brief.
Breel Embolo made it 4-0 in the 51st and grabbed his second goal six minutes later with Manuel Neuer preventing worse as he saved from Dennis Zakaria.
The home fans sang ‘Oh, wie ist das schon! (Oh, how wonderful this is!)’ and can now look forward with optimism to the draw for the third round on Sunday.
Bayern was again without coach Julian Nagelsmann on the sideline due to his coronavirus infection, but he was able to communicate with his assistant, Dino Toppmoller, who filled in.
Bayern started with both Lucas Hernandez and Joshua Kimmich in the lineup.
‘I’m absolutely shocked. We simply didn’t turn up,’ Bayern sports director and former player Hasan Salihamidzic told ARD.
‘We were just not there. We did not win a single tackle or challenge in the entire first half.
‘Everything that could go wrong went wrong. We let ourselves be outplayed in every situation – a collective blackout.’
The former found out earlier Tuesday that he would not face prison for violating a restraining order as he won his appeal in Madrid, and Kimmich made his first appearance since causing a furor over the weekend by voicing his concerns about getting a vaccine against the coronavirus.
But for Gladbach, Wednesday’s win was like playing in a trance, according to midfielder Jonas Hofmann.
‘We had a super start to the game and we were up 3-0 after just over 20 minutes,’ Germany international Hofmann said. ‘You have to earn it but everything fell into place tonight.
‘It was like in a trance but also exactly what we had set out to do. We defended superbly. It was very good.’
He added: ‘If you are 3-0 behind after 20 minutes or so then it affects you mentally. Then even Bayern players are only human. We can pat ourselves on the back. You cannot hope for a better start than that against Bayern.’
‘You dream sometimes of something like that,’ Gladbach sports director Max Eberl said. ‘But you do not ever think that it could actually become reality.
‘It is an historic performance. This evening will go into Gladbach’s history books.’
Gladbach was one of only two teams to take points off Bayern in the league this season. The teams drew 1-1 in the opening game.