News (engl.)

Record winners FC Bayern beat holders VfB Stuttgart 3-0 in the 83rd men’s DFB-Pokal final to lift the trophy for a 21st time. It was Bayern’s first DFB-Pokal triumph since 2020 and, following their Bundesliga title, sealed the double this season. Harry Kane decided the contest with a second-half hat-trick (55’, 80’, 90’+2).

VfB make the stronger start

At a sold-out Olympiastadion in Berlin, with 74,036 fans in attendance, VfB Stuttgart made the better start. FC Bayern had more of the ball early on, but rarely kept it for long in the Stuttgart half. VfB, by contrast, repeatedly found a way towards the Bayern goal and were first to threaten when Deniz Undav slipped a pass into the box for Maximilian Mittelstädt, who hit the side-netting from a tight angle (9’).

Mittelstädt had the next opening too, this time from around 20 yards out, but FCB goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, deputising for the injured Manuel Neuer, got down to save his effort destined for the bottom-right corner (17’). The Bundesliga champions threatened the VfB goal for the first time in the 22nd minute. After Alexander Nübel missed a cross, the ball struck Kane somewhat unexpectedly on the shoulder and looped over the bar. Five minutes later, Chris Führich was sent racing through, but had to check his run under pressure, cut back and shot from over 20 yards, with Urbig able to gather comfortably. The record DFB-Pokal winners registered their first real effort on goal through Luis Diaz, who tested Nübel after half an hour.

VfB then came forward again, Mittelstädt whipping a corner towards the back post, where Urbig punched a difficult delivery out of the danger zone (35’). At the other end, Josip Stanisic tried his luck from distance (36’). Before the break, FC Bayern had one more sight of the Stuttgart goal. Joshua Kimmich’s free-kick from deep found Kane, but the VfB defence crowded him out before he could get a shot away (42’).

Kane makes the difference

After the restart, both sides needed a little time to rediscover their rhythm. Bayern then took the lead with the first clear chance of the second half. Kimmich took a free-kick quickly out to the right to Michael Olise, whose cross into the box picked out Kane. The England captain headed home from close range to make it 1-0 (55’). The Bundesliga champions had another chance soon after, as Nübel parried Luis Diaz’s curling effort before Konrad Laimer fired the rebound over from five yards out (61’).

After taking the lead, Bayern dominated the contest and generally managed to keep hold of the ball. VfB found it increasingly difficult to get near them and rarely managed to put the Bayern defence under pressure in search of an equaliser. The holders tried to inject fresh attacking impetus through changes, but the record winners always had an answer.

Kane then struck again to settle it. FC Bayern had VfB pinned back in their own box, and although Stuttgart dealt with the first wave of the attack, Luis Diaz quickly found Kane again in a central position. With his back to goal, the England captain turned on the spot and slotted home for 2-0 (80’). Olise’s deflected shot then flashed narrowly past the post (89’). Deep into stoppage time, Bayern were awarded a penalty for handball after Angelo Stiller was struck on the arm by an Olise cross. Kane stepped up and sent the spot-kick confidently into the bottom-right corner (90’+2).