On Wednesday evening, FC Bayern played second-division side VfL Osnabrück at the Bremer Brücke in the first round of the DFB Cup. For the record champions, the goal was to clear this hurdle.
And that could have been a tricky hurdle indeed, because facing a second-division team in top form—especially one that had just won over the weekend—is never easy.
It certainly wasn’t easy. But in the end, Bayern cleared the Osnabrück hurdle with a 4-1 victory.
FC Bayern Bounces Back from an Early Setback
The atmosphere was good when the match kicked off in Osnabrück. And the second-division side, led by Timo Schultz, had already announced before the game that they intended to give the record champions and record cup winners a run for their money. And that’s exactly what happened right from the start. After a long ball, Robin Meißner got a shot off, taking a risky volley from long range and slotting it perfectly into the far corner—1–0!
Bayern struggled a bit at the start, taking just over ten minutes to find their rhythm. The pressure mounted, and Bayern earned crosses and corner kicks. A chip pass from Joshua Kimmich was well controlled by Harry Kane, who slotted it home from close range to tie the game. That gave the record champions a boost of confidence. Tom Bischof kept driving forward and also set up the 1–2. After he broke through on the right, Michael Olise got on the end of the ball and found Luis Diaz. Diaz failed to convert in the one-on-one, but Bischof followed up and fired the ball into the far corner.
The two goals meant that VfL had their hands full for the time being. Bayern was now in complete control of the match, and their defense against counterattacks was also working well. Just before the halftime whistle, Olise had a chance to make it 1–3, but his low shot was well saved. Then it was halftime.
Bayern Extends Its Lead
After the restart, Bayern nearly capitalized on a mix-up by Osnabrück in the 50th minute, but in the end, the home team managed to clear the danger. Shortly afterward, Olise took a shot but aimed too centrally. Ismael Saibari also tried his luck from a tight angle, as did Kane. Bayern were pushing for a 3-1 lead, but Osnabrück were still keeping their hopes alive. Coach Kompany finally made substitutions, bringing on Alphonso Davies and Lennart Karl.
It was the close score that kept the tension high. The very first play of the game showed just how quickly things can change. In the 73rd minute, however, things moved quickly for FC Bayern. After a passing error, Karl reacted in a flash, playing the ball toward Olise, who got to it after a series of deflections. Olise then lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net—1–3. After a foul on Aleksandar Pavlovic—who had come on as a substitute later in the game—FC Bayern was awarded a penalty kick in the closing minutes. Kane stepped up and converted it with ice-cold composure. The 4–1 score marked the final result of the match.