Kane’s Late Goal Saves Bayern’s Blushes in DFB-Pokal Scare Against Wehen Wiesbaden

Harry Kane's dramatic 94th-minute goal spared Bayern Munich an embarrassing exit from the DFB-Pokal, as they narrowly avoided an upset against third-tier side Wehen Wiesbaden. The Bundesliga champions ultimately prevailed, but the match exposed vulnerabilities that Kane acknowledged need addressing if Bayern are to achieve their ambitious goals this season.

The first-round tie at BRITA-Arena initially appeared to be heading for a comfortable Bayern victory. Kane himself opened the scoring, followed by another goal. Bayern seemed to be cruising with a 2-0 lead, seemingly putting the game beyond Wiesbaden's reach. However, football is a game of momentum, and Wiesbaden had other ideas.

Fueled by passion and determination, Wiesbaden captain Fatih Kaya ignited a stunning comeback, scoring twice in just six minutes to level the score. The BRITA-Arena erupted as the home fans dared to dream of a famous cup upset. To add to the drama, Kane saw his 76th-minute penalty saved by Wiesbaden goalkeeper Florian Stritzel, intensifying the pressure on Bayern.

As the clock ticked down and the specter of extra time loomed, Kane rose to the occasion. In the dying seconds of stoppage time, he met a deep cross from Josip Stanisic with a well-directed header, finally breaking Wiesbaden's resolve and securing Bayern's passage to the next round. The relief was palpable among the Bayern players and coaching staff, who knew they had dodged a major bullet.

Speaking after the match, Kane didn't shy away from admitting Bayern's shortcomings. "It was a crazy game, sometimes that's what the cup brings," he said. "We were in complete control and should’ve been two or three goals in front in the first half. We had some big chances to settle it in the second half too. They kept going and knew they could turn the momentum with one goal. We then had to show character to stay calm in the final 15 minutes. Luckily, we managed to get the goal at the end. We know we have some things to improve. We’ve done our job, which was the most important thing, and now we look forward."

The statistics paint a picture of Bayern's dominance, but also highlight their wastefulness in front of goal. They unleashed 22 shots compared to Wiesbaden's six, hitting the target 15 times. Their expected goals (xG) tally of 3.87 dwarfed Wiesbaden's 1.13, reflecting their superior attacking threat. It was Bayern's highest xG in a DFB-Pokal match since their 12-0 thrashing of Bremer SV in 2021.

Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich echoed Kane's sentiments, emphasizing the need to be more clinical. "It wasn’t luck. We should’ve wrapped it up earlier," he said. "The number of chances was extremely high, but when you don’t put them away, that’s what happens. It was important that we then stayed calm. In the past, we often lost our nerve towards the end. That why I’m glad we stayed patient."

While Bayern ultimately secured the win, the match served as a wake-up call. Their inability to convert chances and their vulnerability to a spirited underdog performance exposed weaknesses that must be addressed if they are to compete for major titles this season. Manager Thomas Tuchel will undoubtedly be using this game as a teaching moment, urging his players to be more ruthless in front of goal and to maintain their focus and composure regardless of the scoreline.

Bayern's upcoming schedule includes a Bundesliga match against Augsburg. The game will provide an opportunity to put the lessons learned from the Wiesbaden match into practice and demonstrate their ability to bounce back from a near-upset.