Bayern's Four-Goal Blitz Sends Cologne Packing in the German Cup

Bayern's four-goal blitz sends Cologne packing in the German Cup

Bayern Munich advanced to the third round of the DFB-Pokal by thrashing host Cologne 4-1 at Energy Stadium on Wednesday night.

The scoring sequence saw Luis Diaz open Bayern’s account in the 36th minute, Harry Kane strike twice (38 and 64), and Michael Olise seal the win with a 72nd-minute finish, while Cologne’s lone reply came from a first-half header in the 31st minute.

The Bavarians created the game’s first real threat in the eighth minute, when a right-sided foray produced a cross that drifted safely into the keeper’s hands. Cologne responded with a dangerous moment of their own, as a cleared ball deflected back into the danger area and required attention from Bayern’s defense.

Cologne continued to threaten from set-pieces, with a header in the 16th minute forcing a save from Bayern’s goalkeeper and keeping the scores level. Serge Gnabry then tested the keeper with a sharp effort in the 18th minute as Bayern began to take control.

After the restart Bayern asserted their dominance. Diaz’s pace down the left opened space inside the box, and a composed finish levelled the match at 1-1 in the 36th minute. Two minutes later Kane gave Bayern the lead with a well-placed header from a cross, and the visitors never looked back.

Cologne pressed for a quick reply but were unable to convert their chances. In the 52nd minute Kane came close to a third before the Burrs extended their advantage with a second Kane strike in the 64th minute, finishing off a build-up down the left. Diaz then delivered the killer blow in the 72nd minute, finishing from close range after a clever pass from Olise.

As the game wore on, Bayern pressed for more and continued to threaten through late surges and precise passing. The final whistle confirmed a 4-1 victory and Bayern’s progression to the next round, with substitutions and tactical tweaks shaping the closing stages.

Stuttgart kick off their title defense with a win

In another notable German Cup tie, Stuttgart began their title defense with a 2-0 victory away to Mainz in the second round. The Swiss-born Luca Jakic opened the scoring in the 6th minute and Turkish midfielder Atakan Karazor sealed the result in the 73rd minute.

Stuttgart had lifted the cup last season for the fourth time in their history and the win kept their bid alive as they look to repeat the feat. Mainz pushed hard to level but could not find a reply.

Other notable results saw Bayer Leverkusen needing extra time to see off Bad Driburg 4-2, while Kaiserslautern edged out Greuther Fürth 1-0 thanks to an early strike by Nathan Skita in the 12th minute. Tuesday’s slate also saw Dortmund, Leipzig, Borussia Mönchengladbach, St. Pauli, Hamburg, Hertha Berlin, Bochum and Holstein Kiel secure their spots in the next round, rounding out a busy night of cup football.

As the round progresses, fans can expect more shocks, late drama, and the kind of high-stakes football that makes the cup a different beast from the league—where everyone’s bracket is sweating and the coffee is practically a second midfield.

Punchline time: If Bayern keeps this up, Cologne will need to hire a magician to make the defense disappear—spoiler: the magician is called a forward, and he’s got a lot of tricks. Punchline two: The only thing sharper than Bayern’s finishing tonight was the referee’s whistle—sniper-level accuracy, and yes, we’re still talking about the goals, not the weather forecast.