Bayern eliminated from German Cup by third-division Saarbruecken

DORTMUND, Germany: Bayern Munich crashed out of the German Cup in the second round for the third time in four years after a remarkable 2-1 loss at third-division Saarbruecken on Wednesday, thanks to a last-minute winner from Marcel Gaus.

With the scores locked at 1-1 and the match looking destined for extra time, defender Gaus netted in the sixth minute of injury time to grab his team a famous victory.

“When a first-division team like Bayern comes to Saarbruecken and loses, then we did something wrong,” veteran Thomas Mueller told ARD after the match.

Bayern were beaten by Holstein Kiel on penalties at the same stage three years ago, then thrashed 5-0 by Borussia Moenchengladbach in round two in 2021.

The record 20-time winners also lost in the quarter-finals at home to Freiburg last season.

“There could be 100 explanations or maybe none at all. We had injuries but some will say we should win anyway,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said.

An “incredibly proud” home coach Ruediger Ziehl said he had told his players that Thursday’s training session was now “voluntary“

“If we don’t celebrate today, then we can never celebrate.”

Bayern, who travel to Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, lost central defender Matthijs de Ligt to a potentially serious knee injury early in the match, leaving the side with only one fit center-back.

Six-time Cup winner Mueller looked to have Bayern on the right track for a routine victory at their less-fancied opponents, before De Ligt injured his knee in a tussle soon after and signalled immediately to the bench.

The injury forced midfielder Joshua Kimmich into defense and appeared to put Bayern on the back foot against a resurgent Saarbruecken.

The hosts struck next, Patrick