Bayern Munich Secures 4-1 Cup Victory Amid Musiala's Recovery

OSNABRÜCK, Germany — Bayern Munich walked off with a 4-1 German Cup win on Wednesday night, but the loudest storyline still circled a player who never stepped onto the pitch.

Kompany cautious with Musiala

Vincent Kompany confirmed Jamal Musiala is edging closer to a return, yet the Bayern coach made it clear there will be no rush job with one of Germany’s brightest stars.

Musiala was left out of the squad entirely for the trip to second-tier Osnabrück and has not featured under Kompany since he collapsed in two preseason games because of a neurological issue. The 21-year-old later revealed he is dealing with treatable absence seizures, after going down twice in four days — first in a friendly against RB Leipzig, then again on Aug. 18.

Kompany, speaking after the win, suggested Musiala “might” be in contention for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash with promoted Schalke. But he quickly drew a line under any sense of urgency.

“I don’t want to put any more pressure on the guy,” he said. The message was firm: Bayern will wait until Musiala is fully ready, no matter how tempting it is to bring him back into a side already humming in attack.

Kane at the double as Bayern cruise

On the night, Bayern didn’t need him.

Harry Kane struck twice as the defending champions eased into the second round, continuing a ruthless start to the season that has already seen them lift the Super Cup with a 2-1 win over Dortmund and smash Stuttgart 5-1 in the league.

Kompany resisted the temptation to heavily rotate despite facing lower-league opposition. He rolled out a full-strength front line, starting Kane alongside Luis Díaz and Michael Olise, while new signing Ismael Saibari made his first start since arriving from PSV Eindhoven.

Even then, Bayern were jolted early.

Meissner’s rocket stuns Bayern

Osnabrück’s Robin Meissner produced the kind of goal that lives in a cup highlight reel for years. From around 30 meters, he let fly and sent a thunderous strike arcing into the top right corner. The home crowd erupted; even Kane and Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig applauded the moment of brilliance.

Suddenly, the holders were behind and under real pressure in a tight, hostile stadium.

Kane’s response was swift. The England captain levelled soon after, steadying Bayern just as the noise in Osnabrück threatened to boil over. Tom Bischof then flipped the game on its head in the 24th minute, making it 2-1 and restoring the familiar balance of power.

Osnabrück stayed compact, disciplined and stubborn, exactly as Kompany had warned. Bayern probed, recycled the ball, and kept dragging defenders into awkward spaces. The breakthrough for real breathing room, though, took its time.

“We kept finding the spaces and the chances eventually became bigger as well,” Kompany said. “We were battling their compactness in the first half; in the second they tried to press us, which also gave us opportunities.”

Olise and Kane finish the job

The pressure finally told with a quarter of an hour to go. Olise struck in the 73rd minute to effectively kill the contest, punishing Osnabrück as their legs and concentration began to fade.

Kane then added his second from the penalty spot to complete the scoring and underline Bayern’s control. A 4-1 away win in the cup, against a well-organized side that thrives on defensive grit, was exactly the sort of professional job Kompany wanted.

“At the end of the day, it’s a 4-1 win away in the cup. You can’t get much better than that against a compact, defensively strong team, who have built their success on just that,” he said. “To win a match like this 4-1 away from home is not easy.”

Kane echoed that assessment.

“I think it was a good performance. Games like this are never easy,” he said. “We played away from home against a good side and the atmosphere the fans created was really impressive. In games like this you have to be disciplined and mentally switched on — especially when the opponents start with such an outrageous goal.”

Bayern’s season has opened with a clear pattern: high scores, sharp finishing, and a coach unafraid to lean on his stars even in early-round cup ties. The next step is obvious. If Musiala does return against Schalke, how quickly can he slot back into a team already gathering speed?