Kingsley Coman on Wednesday spared teammate Mats Hummels’ blushes with an extra-time winner as Bayern Munich stumbled into the DFB Pokal quarter-finals with a 3-2 win at Hertha BSC.
Hummels’ defensive mistake had gifted Hertha an equalizer in the second half of normal time, but Coman’s header ensured that Bayern huffed and puffed their way into the last eight of the competition.
Hertha took the lead with a brutal counterattack after just three minutes, Maximilian Mittelstaedt stroking the ball past Sven Ulreich, in Bayern’s goal for the injured Manuel Neuer.
Photo: Reuters
Bayern hit back almost immediately through Serge Gnabry, who pounced on a loose ball and smashed in the equalizer on the half-volley.
Gnabry then put Bayern ahead just after halftime, surging into the penalty area and slotting the ball inside the far post.
Yet Hummels’ howler brought Hertha back into the game on 67 minutes.
The Bayern defender’s weak header allowed Davie Selke to dart in and prod the hosts level.
Hummels continued to look unsettled and he would have been mightily relieved when Coman nodded in the winner eight minutes into extra-time.
“Their second goal was unnecessary, but we all make mistakes from time to time,” Gnabry told ARD. “It’s always tough in the cup and we are proud to be through.”
Meanwhile, Schalke 04 cruised into the quarter-finals with a 4-1 home win over Fortuna Duesseldorf on an emotional evening for the hosts.
The game kicked off amid a sombre atmosphere in the wake of news that Schalke’s legendary, cigar-smoking former general manager Rudi Assauer had died aged 74.
“Rudi was the architect of modern Schalke. Without him, we wouldn’t be standing in this arena,” Schalke chairman Clemens Tonnies said.
The mood was lightened on the half-hour mark when Ahmed Kutucu curled the ball into the top corner to give Schalke the lead.
Their second came from a corner just after halftime. Winston McKennie forced a good save from Jaroslav Drobny before Salif Sane pounced on the rebound.
Mark Uth added a third from close range on 53 minutes.
Rouwen Hennings then chipped in a consolation goal for Duesseldorf, before Sane sealed the win late on.
Earlier on Wednesday, 19-year-old Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha made history with his first-half winner as RB Leipzig beat VfL Wolfsburg 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.
Augsburg also progressed after a smash-and-grab 1-0 victory away to second-tier Holstein Kiel.
Kiel were left to rue an array of missed chances five minutes from time, when Michael Gregoritsch found the net against the run of play to send Augsburg into the quarter-finals.
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