MAINZ, Germany — Jamal Musiala netted a remarkable first-half hat trick as Bayern Munich cruised to a convincing 4-0 victory against Mainz in the German Cup on Wednesday.
Bayern Munich’s dominance was evident from the start, with Musiala finding the net just under 90 seconds into the match, setting the tone for the encounter.
The straightforward nature of the win highlighted Bayern’s resurgence in domestic competitions, especially following a disappointing trophyless season in 2023-24, despite its mixed performance in the Champions League.
After Musiala’s initial strike, which was expertly crafted with the assistance of Harry Kane, he displayed his poaching instincts for his subsequent goals.
The second goal came after he pounced on a saved Kane shot, while he completed his hat trick with Bayern’s fourth, tapping in after Konrad Laimer’s cross took a deflection off two Mainz defenders.
Leroy Sané contributed to the scoreline as well, scoring the team’s third goal during a quick counterattack that originated from their own penalty area.
In other cup matches on Wednesday, Union Berlin, currently enjoying success in the Bundesliga, faced an unexpected early exit, losing 2-0 to third-tier side Arminia Bielefeld.
Eintracht Frankfurt, despite playing a majority of the match with ten men, managed to secure a 2-1 win against Borussia Moenchengladbach, with Hugo Ekitiké and Omar Marmoush scoring for Frankfurt.
Frankfurt’s defensive player Arthur Theate was red-carded in the 15th minute for a handball, marking his second consecutive dismissal, although he was eligible to play as the suspension did not carry over to this cup match.
Meanwhile, Heidenheim suffered a 2-1 upset against second-division Hertha Berlin. They thought they had equalized in the last moments of the match through a Paul Wanner header, only to have it ruled out due to a foul in the build-up.
Other Bundesliga teams progressed through the cup, with Werder Bremen edging out Paderborn 1-0, Freiburg defeating Hamburger SV 2-1, and Hoffenheim overcoming Nuremberg with a 2-1 scoreline.