Bayern Munich Advances in German Cup Despite Musiala's Absence
OSNABRÜCK, Germany — Bayern Munich rolled into the second round of the German Cup with a 4-1 win at Osnabrück on Wednesday night, but the loudest subplot hovered over a player who never set foot on the pitch.
Kompany refuses to rush Musiala
Jamal Musiala stayed out of the squad again, still sidelined after collapsing twice in preseason because of a neurological issue. Vincent Kompany made it clear: Bayern will not hurry their brightest talent back.
He admitted Musiala “might” be an option for Saturday’s Bundesliga trip to promoted Schalke, yet quickly pulled back on any sense of expectation.
“I don’t want to put any more pressure on the guy,” Kompany said after the game.
Musiala recently revealed he is dealing with treatable absence seizures, having gone down on the pitch twice in four days during friendlies in August — first against RB Leipzig in preseason, then again on Aug. 18. Bayern have handled his case cautiously, and Kompany’s tone underlined that the priority remains the 21-year-old’s long‑term health, not a quick return.
Kane leads the charge after Osnabrück stunner
On the night, Bayern still had more than enough firepower.
Kompany resisted the temptation to heavily rotate against the second-tier side. Harry Kane, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise all started, with new signing Ismael Saibari handed his first start since arriving from PSV Eindhoven. The message was clear: no complacency.
Osnabrück didn’t read from the underdog script. They tore into the game and were rewarded with a thunderbolt. Robin Meissner picked up the ball around 30 meters out and unleashed a vicious strike that screamed into the top right corner. It was the kind of goal that momentarily silences even an away end as seasoned as Bayern’s.
Kane and even Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig went over to congratulate Meissner on the effort. Respect where it was due.
The shock didn’t last long. Bayern reset, tightened their grip on the ball and Kane struck back quickly to level. Once the equalizer landed, the pattern felt familiar. Pressure, territory, and a sense that the champions would eventually pull clear.
Tom Bischof made that feeling concrete in the 24th minute, sweeping Bayern into a 2-1 lead. From there, Kompany’s side controlled the tempo, probing and recycling possession, forcing Osnabrück deeper and deeper.
“We kept finding the spaces and the chances eventually became bigger as well. We were battling their compactness in the first half; in the second they tried to press us, which also gave us opportunities,” Kompany said. “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. To win a match like this 4-1 away from home is not easy.”
The hosts clung on at 2-1, helped by their organization and a raucous crowd, but Bayern’s quality kept slicing open half-chances. The pressure finally told in the 73rd minute when Olise stepped up, killing the contest with Bayern’s third.
Kane then wrapped it all up from the penalty spot, his second of the night, to give the scoreline the authority Bayern’s performance had been hinting at.
Kane: “Games like this are never easy”
For all the control, Kane insisted this was no training exercise.
“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 start to the season under Kompany already carries a certain edge. A 2-1 win over Dortmund in the Super Cup, a 5-1 dismantling of Stuttgart in the Bundesliga opener, and now a comfortable cup win despite an early scare.
The football looks bold. The results back it up. The only missing piece is Musiala.
If he is indeed close to returning, as Kompany hinted, the question now is simple: how much more dangerous can this Bayern side become once their most gifted playmaker steps back into the storm?
