Halftime substitute Xherdan Shaqiri scored one goal and set up two more to help Bayern Munich beat second-tier SSV Jahn Regensburg 4-0 in the German Cup on Monday.
Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, before Shaqiri’s sweetly struck free-kick put Bayern firmly in control on the hour.
“We trained at that for the last few days. He was one of the best taking them, along with Tony Kroos,” Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said. “He’s a great footballer, he’s a street footballer.”
Photo: Reuters
The 20-year-old Shaqiri set up Mandzukic for the Croat’s second goal in the 80th minute and then set up substitute Claudio Pizarro for the Peruvian’s first competitive goal on his return to the club.
Earlier on Monday, there were 3-0 wins for second-tier sides Dynamo Dresden and Sandhausen over Chemnitzer and Energie Cottbus respectively, while Simon Terodde scored in the last minute of extra-time to give Union Berlin a 1-0 win over fourth-tier Rot-Weiss Essen.
In Regensburg, Franck Ribery twisted his way past a defender before teeing up the unmarked Mandzukic to score from point-blank range.
Photo: EPA
Bayern’s pressure against a well-organized defense finally paid off when Shaqiri scored with his first shot on goal in a competitive game for the club following his summer transfer from Basel.
“I was lucky. The ball went in,” said Shaqiri, whose competitive debut came with four minutes remaining in Bayern’s 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup.
A classy pass from the Swiss winger sent Mandzukic through to round the goalkeeper and score form a sharp angle.
Shaqiri then cut the ball back from the goal-line for the 33-year-old Pizarro — who had just replaced Mandzukic — to hammer the ball home with two minutes remaining.
Bayern have won all three cup ties against their Bavarian rivals by scoring four goals and they progress to the second round for the 18th year in a row.
Six teams — Hamburg SV, Eintracht Frankfurt, Nuremburg, Werder Bremen, SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim — failed to progress in the top division’s worst showing in the first round of the competition since the 1987-1988 season.
Defending champions Borussia Dortmund and 2010-2011 champions Schalke 04 progressed with comfortable wins on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
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