Kane strikes late as Bayern edge Wiesbaden in German Cup opener

Berlin, Aug 28 (IANS) Harry Kane once again showed his striker's instinct, netting twice including a dramatic stoppage-time winner, as Bayern Munich scraped past third-tier Wehen Wiesbaden 3-2 in the first round of the German Cup on Wednesday night.

Fielding a rotated side, Bayern made a flying start. Within seconds of kick-off, Luis Diaz tested Florian Stritzel in the Wiesbaden goal, who would go on to deliver a string of fine saves. The early breakthrough arrived after a foul on Sacha Boey, with Kane converting coolly from the penalty spot in the 16th minute.

The Bundesliga champions doubled their lead shortly after the restart when youngster Lennart Karl surged into the box, and a loose ball fell kindly for Michael Olise to score his first goal in the competition. At that point, Bayern seemed in full control, with Diaz and Raphael Guerreiro both spurning opportunities to put the tie beyond doubt, reports xinhua.

Yet Wiesbaden refused to fold. Roared on by their home crowd, captain Fatih Kaya struck twice in quick succession, first sliding in at the far post and then racing clear to fire past Jonas Urbig for a shock equalizer. Suddenly, Bayern's 2-0 cushion had vanished, and the underdogs sensed an upset.

Kane had the chance to restore order from the spot after being fouled, but Stritzel saved not only his penalty but also two follow-up efforts in a remarkable sequence. As the clock ticked into added time, the tie appeared destined for extra time, only for Bayern's record signing to rise highest and head home from Josip Stanisic's cross to seal progression.

The relief among the visitors was palpable, while Wiesbaden were left to rue how close they had come to forcing a famous upset.

"It's obviously bitter. Compliments to the team, we made it tough for Bayern, and we can be proud of that. Scoring against a club like this is special, but I would rather we had gone through today," said Kaya.

"We had enough chances, then Wiesbaden had two moments that can happen. In the end, the important thing is we went through. We stayed calm, won the game, and that shows our quality. The first round in the cup is never easy," said Bayern defender Konrad Laimer