Harry Kane’s second-half double proved decisive as reigning champions Bayern Munich fought back from behind to claim a 4-1 victory over second-tier side Osnabrueck in their DFB Pokal opener on Wednesday.

The Bavarian giants found themselves rattled early when Osnabrueck’s Robin Meissner curled home a stunning effort from outside the penalty area just five minutes into the contest, sparking hopes of a cup upset on home turf.

But Bayern, chasing their 22nd German Cup crown and unbeaten in first-round ties since 1994, responded swiftly.

Kane pounced on a rebound to level matters before Tom Bischof restored the lead six minutes afterward. Michael Olise extended the advantage in the 73rd minute, and Kane wrapped things up from the penalty spot with four minutes remaining on the clock.

Speaking after the final whistle, Kane acknowledged the difficulty of playing away from home against a determined lower-league opponent.

“It’s never easy at an away ground with a very good atmosphere. They started the game with an amazing goal, and we had to stay calm,” the England captain remarked, adding his satisfaction at securing the result.

The victory pushed Kane’s tally to an extraordinary 148 goals from just 150 appearances across all competitions since his 2023 switch from boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur.

Elsewhere in the competition, Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund cruised past minnows HEBC with a comfortable 5-0 win in Hamburg the previous day, continuing the trend of top-flight sides asserting dominance in the tournament’s opening round.

Both results underline the gulf in quality between Germany’s elite clubs and their lower-division counterparts as the cup campaign gets underway.