Reds eliminated in shootout drama

FC Bayern lost 6-5 on penalties to Holstein Kiel in the second DFB Cup round. Serge Gnabry handed Bayern an early lead, Fin Bartels levelling the scores before half-time. Leroy Sané restored the lead after the interval, but Hauke Wahl scored in injury time to send the game into extra time. With no further goals to come, it was down to the lottery of penalties, and the minnows converted all their efforts from the spot, with Marc Roca seeing his shot saved after Robert Lewandowski, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Müller, David Alaba and Douglas Costa had converted.

The Bavarians started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Bouna Sarr, Niklas Süle, Lucas Hernández and Alphonso Davies in a back four. Corentin Tolisso and Kimmich featured in a twin holding role behind Sané, Jamal Musiala and Gnabry, with Müller up front. Costa and Lewandowski came on for Sané and Musiala midway through the second half before Benjamin Pavard and Roca took over from Sarr and Gnabry, Alaba replacing Tolisso in extra time.

Level at half-time

Bayern dominated proceedings from the off, Kimmich miscuing from 20 yards, but Munich drew first blood when keeper Ioannis Gelios parried a Müller header, with Gnabry on hand to mop up. Gnabry saw another shot go wide and Müller put it over the bar from close range, but Kiel levelled the scores out of the blue, Fin Bartels latching on to a through-ball and beating Neuer.

The minnows had the ball in the back of the net for a second time when Lee slotted past Neuer, but the linesman's flag was raised for offside. Müller fired wide from distance, Musiala warming Gelios' gloves, and after Tolisso's pass evaded Müller in the six-yard box, match official Robert Schröder blew for half-time.

Shock equaliser

Bayern took the lead from a free-kick shortly after the restart, Sané unleashing a sumptuous curler into the top corner of the net from 20 yards. Kiel's Alexander Mühling fired over from 15 yards. Bayern forced a string of corners now but failed to make them count. Gelios directed a Musiala effort onto the post, Tolisso seeing a shot blocked.

Gnabry and Lewandowski drew saves from Gelios, but Hauke Wahl sent the game into extra time when a free-kick found the unmarked Wahl, who headed into the far corner of the net with the full-time whistle imminent.

No way through

Kimmich saw a shot blocked before Fabian Reese fired wide at the other end, Gelios directing a Kimmich effort onto the bar. Davies and Roca forced Gelios into action, but there was no way through, the game going to penalties, and Bayern's title defence came to an end against the clinical men from the north.

The Bavarians will be back in action on Sunday, when they entertain SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen