Bayern survive early scare to beat Osnabrück in German Cup opener

Bayern Munich, fresh off a commanding 5:1 league win over Stuttgart, began their German Cup campaign with an away match against second-division side Osnabrück. The visitors were caught off guard in just the fifth minute when Osnabrück midfielder Robin Meissner scored with a precise long-range strike, catching goalkeeper Jonas Urbig out of position and giving the hosts a 1:0 lead.

Bayern responded quickly. In the 18th minute, a long pass from Joshua Kimmich set up Harry Kane, who finished first-time to level the score. Soon after, Colombian forward Luis Díaz broke through one-on-one against Osnabrück goalkeeper Jonas Krumrey, who saved the initial shot, but Tom Bischof scored from the rebound to put the hosts back in front at 2:1.

Before halftime, Krumrey denied a difficult effort from Michael Olise, but the Frenchman got his goal after the break — in the 73rd minute he beat both a defender and the goalkeeper to equalize. Late in the match, a foul on young midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović inside the penalty area led to a penalty, which Kane converted, sealing a 4:1 victory for Bayern, who dominated the match with 22 shots to Osnabrück's five.

Bayern's next fixture is Saturday against Schalke, newly promoted to the Bundesliga, followed by a UEFA Champions League home match against Norway's Bodø next week. The German Cup's opening round also featured several other Bundesliga clubs, most of whom advanced without major difficulty.