In a surprising turn of events, record champions Bayern Munich faced their fourth consecutive early exit from the German Cup after a resilient Saarbrucken side staged a late comeback to secure a 2-1 victory in the second round.
Bayern took control from the outset but struggled to penetrate Saarbrucken's well-organized defense. Nonetheless, Bayern managed to break the deadlock 14 minutes into the game when Thomas Muller had ample time and space to launch a powerful shot from 22 meters into the net.
Saarbrucken responded just before halftime when Lukas Boeder dispossessed Frans Kratzig near the penalty area, enabling Patrick Sontheimer to capitalize on Boeder's cutback pass and equalize.
In the second half, Bayern increased their offensive pressure, but Saarbrucken's defense held firm. Despite Bayern's efforts, Saarbrucken goalkeeper Tim Schreiber thwarted their long-range attempts, including a powerful strike from Leroy Sane.
Schreiber remained busy as the match approached its conclusion, with Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry also testing him from distance. In injury time, Saarbrucken delivered the shocker, as Tim Civeja's pass allowed Marcel Gaus to beat Bayern's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with a deflected shot in the dying seconds of the match.
Saarbrucken's coach, Rudiger Ziehl, expressed his pride in the team's determination, while Bayern veteran Thomas Muller acknowledged their failure to outsmart their opponents.
In other matches, Bayer Leverkusen staged a comeback from two goals down to defeat third-division side Sandhausen 5-2. Second-division club Paderborn upset Freiburg 3-1, Dortmund secured a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt beat third-tier Viktoria Cologne 2-0, and Mainz suffered a 3-0 loss to second-division team Hertha Berlin.
(With Agency Inputs)
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