How Bayern made history in Berlin with 3-0 final win over Stuttgart

At 22:03, with a pleasantly cool, dark night having driven away the capital’s first proper hot day of the summer, Harry Kaneand his teammates leapt into the air, brimming with happiness and joy, in front of the most loyal of the loyal supporters in the east stand of Berlin’s Olympiastadion. It was almost as if those 90 minutes of a gripping cup tie against a VfB Stuttgart side that had been particularly impressive in the first half had never happened. It was as if, at the final whistle, they had all fallen into a magic potion that was now, as they danced and celebrated, bestowing superpowers upon them once more to celebrate their 3-0 victory as Bayern brought the DFB Cup back to Munich after six years, lifting Germany’s cup for the 21st time in the 83rd final.

“This was definitely one of the best nights of my career. I was so looking forward to this final. I’d heard so much from all the players who’d experienced this final before with the club,” revealed a beaming Kane. “I wanted to make the team proud; I wanted to make the fans proud. And to score a hat-trick in a final, it’s just such a special game and special feeling. I’m so proud of that. It was a long and hard season. Ending it like this is perfect.”

Olise onto Kane’s head

The result, however, was somewhat misleading, at least for the first half of the final. The valiant defending champions had managed not only to keep the match open, but even to gain a slight advantage. But then Kane stole the decisive few inches to get on the end of Michael Olise’s cross with his supposedly weaker right foot, diving to head the ball over the line to give Bayern a 1-0 lead, striking a blow to Stuttgart hearts.

Bayern had struggled in the opening quarter of an hour against a Stuttgart side that was aggressive, intense and fighting for every inch of the pitch. But the Swabians didn’t just defend. They repeatedly forced Bayern to retreat, particularly down their right flank. Whilst the favourites from Munich’s nerves in their first DFB Cup final in six years were palpable at the start, VfB quickly shook off any tension with the courage of the underdog. Bayern sought and found their rhythm only in their own half, but whenever the Reds combined their way over the halfway line, the opposition’s defence closed in. Stuttgart pressed aggressively, particularly on the Bundesliga champions’ wide men, leaving Luis Díaz and Olise with little space to showcase their finesse.

And whenever they did seem to break free, the next Stuttgart players would bring the attacks to a halt. “We’ve had games all season where we had to overcome adversity, where we were behind or a man down. The whole journey was on display in this match,” said board member for sport Max Eberl.

Waves of energy from the stands

The result was a tactical yet thrilling encounter, with two sets of supporters – one dressed in red, the other in white – creating an extraordinary atmosphere with their deafening chants. Both stands unleashed massive waves of energy, sending them down towards the pitch, where they met in the centre of this huge oval with a loud bang, collided and rolled back just as powerfully. It was breathtaking. “Everyone could tell how brilliant this final is – the whole atmosphere, everything around it is mad. It’s really good fun. It should definitely happen more often in the coming years,” said Konrad Laimer.

However, it was Stuttgart, tactically well organised by coach Sebastian Hoeneß, who had the first chances, but Jonas Urbig in the Bayern goal thwarted all their attempts. Urbig remained the focal point for a long time, as he was the key passing option in the build-up against a Stuttgart side pressing high. Over 45 percent of the match was played in Bayern’s third of the pitch; Stuttgart racked up 5-0 in shots on goal and, with every pass, every tackle won – which the supporters celebrated almost as if it were a goal – gained another truckload of courage and hope. Bayer Leverkusen had only managed four shots on goal against Bayern in the 90 minutes of the semi-final. The Munich side, meanwhile, didn’t manage their first attempt on the VfB goal until the half-hour mark. Stuttgart’s goalkeeper just managed to push aside a powerful effort from Josip Stanišić in the Olympiastadion, which was a steaming, seething cauldron due to the sweltering temperatures.

First mistake proves decisive

It soon became clear that the first mistake would likely decide the outcome of this match. And the longer Stuttgart failed to capitalise on their statistical superiority, the more things could go Bayern’s way. That had been the case in all their previous encounters this season, all of which Munich had won with big finishes. And so it proved once again, when Kane clinically finished off Olise’s cross. “We wanted to make it a tough game. But then you can’t leave Kane unmarked. He finishes those chances clinically. We held our own for a long time,” said Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav.

Only once in the last 10 DFB Cup finals had a club managed to come back from a 1-0 deficit. “It really hurts. We gave all we had. We can’t blame ourselves at all,” said strike partner Ermedin Demirović. Then came a double blow. First, Kane smashed a long-range shot against the crossbar. Seconds later, following a pass from Díaz, he spun to slot the ball home for 2-0 with 80 minutes gone. VfB, meanwhile, had not had a shot on goal since the 28th minute.

Emulating Wohlfahrt

And when Stuttgart were penalised for a handball in the penalty area in stoppage time, a completely unstoppable Kane confidently converted the penalty to make it 3-0 and complete his personal feat of a hat-trick in the final. Only four players have managed this feat in the long history of the DFB Cup final, including Roland Wohlfahrt in 1986, also against Stuttgart.

Once victory was official, with referee Sven Jablonski sealing Bayern’s cup win with his final whistle, the team sprinted, overcome with joy, towards their fans. Everyone was absolutely ecstatic – led by Leon Goretzka. “I’ve already thanked Harry. He really delivered today, but then he’d promised me that beforehand,” said the midfielder, who is now leaving the club after eight years with a double. There, they danced, jumped and cheered together, full of happiness and joy.

“The whole season has been extraordinary. We fully deserved to win the double. The cup is coming back to Munich – the crowning glory of a magnificent season,” added a delighted Eberl. Then captain Manuel Neuer hoisted the DFB Cup aloft and golden confetti rained down from the Berlin night sky. A more than fitting end to Munich’s six-year wait for the cup.

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