Munich, August 28 (HS):

Harry Kane struck deep into stoppage time to snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory for Bayern Munich over third-division side Wehen Wiesbaden in the opening round of the German Cup on Wednesday night (Thursday IST).

Bayern got off to a flying start when Kane converted a 16th-minute penalty after Sacha Boey was fouled, extending his remarkable run to 31 consecutive successful spot-kicks for club and country.

The Bavarians looked in control early in the second half as Michael Olise took advantage of a defensive lapse to score in the 51st minute, doubling Bayern’s lead.

But Wiesbaden roared back into the contest. Captain Fatih Kaya pulled one back with a sliding volley from Niklas Mey’s superb cross in the 64th minute, before adding a second just five minutes later with a smart finish from Moritz Flotho’s flicked header, leveling the score at 2-2.

Bayern had a chance to reclaim the lead in the 76th minute, but Kane saw his penalty saved by goalkeeper Florian Stritzel — his first miss from the spot since the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals.

Just as the game seemed destined for extra time, Kane rose highest in the fourth minute of stoppage time to nod home Josip Stanisic’s cross, sealing Bayern’s place in the next round and sparing them from a major upset.

Since last lifting the trophy in the 2019-20 season, Bayern have failed to progress beyond the quarterfinal stage of the German Cup. The draw for the second round will be held on Sunday.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar