Bayern Munich cruised into the last 16 of the German Cup with a 6-1 demolition of second-tier Magdeburg — and they did it with the newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner watching from the bench. Harry Kane was given a guard of honour before kick-off and a rare night off, as Bayern’s squad depth overwhelmed their hosts. More football in our sports section.
A Night to Honour Kane
Kane’s Ballon d’Or triumph has been the story of the football week: the England captain finally has the game’s biggest individual prize to set alongside his scoring records. Teammates and opponents alike joined the pre-match guard of honour, a mark of respect for a striker whose consistency across seasons in Germany has silenced every early doubt about his move from Tottenham.
The knighthood jokes have already started back home, and Kane has laughed them off in interviews, insisting the focus stays on team trophies. Resting him entirely in a cup tie Bayern were expected to win was both a reward and a statement about the strength of the squad behind him.
Six Goals Without Their Talisman
Any thought that Bayern might struggle for fluency without their top scorer vanished quickly. The visitors’ rotation players seized their chance, moving the ball at a pace Magdeburg could not live with and converting pressure into goals with ruthless regularity. By the second half, the tie was long settled and the away end was in party voice.
As football news coverage described it, the performance illustrated why Bayern start as favourites in every domestic competition: their second string would contend for European places in most leagues. For Magdeburg, the evening at least offered a famous occasion and a consolation goal to remember.
The Bigger Picture for Bayern’s Season
Bayern’s season will ultimately be judged in Europe, where the Champions League draw will test them far more severely than domestic cup ties. But winning while resting stars is the foundation of every long campaign, and the German Cup — a trophy Bayern treat seriously — now offers a clear path through the winter rounds.
For Kane, the Ballon d’Or closes one debate and opens another: can the game’s best individual player now drive his club to the European title that has defined every great Bayern era? The winter schedule will begin to answer that.
Six goals, a rested superstar and a trophy favourite marching on: nights like this are why Bayern’s rivals dread the cup draw. Magdeburg got their occasion; Bayern got everything else.
