BERLIN: Bayern Munich finished the first round of the German Cup on Wednesday by cruising to a 5-0 victory away from home against third division team Viktoria Cologne. Cologne started off to a brave start at home and managed to hold the German giants at bay.
When Niklas May blasted the first dangerous shot on goal in the 13th minute, the lower league team was even able to put Bayern on the back foot.
Simon Handel's goal in the 20th minute, which the hosts believed had startled Bayern, was disallowed for offside.
Ben Voll, the goalkeeper for Viktoria, stopped chances from Ryan Gravenberch and Joshua Kimmich at the halfway point despite Bayern's ferocious counterattacks. The first goal came in the 35th minute when Gravenberch pounded home a loose ball from inside the box to give Julian Nagelsmann's team a lead.
Just before halftime, a teenage player named Mathys Tel curled the ball from the left side into the far corner, giving the Bavarians a boost and doubling their lead.
Eight minutes after the restart, Cologne's defence was breached when Serge Gnabry's square pass to Kimmich allowed Sadio Mane to tap in for a 3-0 score from very close range.
Off the bench, Jamal Musiala and Leon Goretzka scored two more goals for tenacious Bayern to end the match. "Playing against Bayern when they are hot is a nightmare. We had some chances while playing excellent defence. Every player should take advantage of the opportunity to play against Bayern. The first 30 minutes, in my opinion, were fantastic "said Olaf Janssen, head coach of Viktoria Cologne.
"Viktoria put on a solid show. They played skillfully and made a couple counterattack attempts. We maintained order and showed patience. Prior to halftime, our two goals were essential "Nagelsmann, the head coach of Bayern Munich, remarked.
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