[Photo courtesy of RB Leipzig]
RB Leipzig stunned Bayern Munich with a 3-0 victory in the final of the German DFL Cup on Sunday. The star of the show was Dani Olmo, who scored a hat-trick and put on a masterclass of attacking midfield play. The Spaniard showed why he is one of the most sought-after players in Europe, as he tormented the Bayern defense with his movement, vision, and finishing.
Olmo opened the scoring in the 12th minute, when he latched onto a through ball from Benjamin Henrichs and slotted it past Ulerich. In the 34th minute, he doubled his total after receiving a feed from Timo Werner and making an incredible spin to get past Matthijs de Ligt and then poke the ball through the keeper’s legs. When Noussair Mazraoui was penalised for handball in the Bayern penalty area in the 67th minute, he successfully converted the penalty to complete his hat-trick.
On the other side, Bayern Munich’s new signing Harry Kane had a debut to forget, coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute with his team already trailing by two goals. The England captain, who signed for Bayern from Tottenham for a Bundesliga record €100 million ($110 million), had little impact on the game.
Kane’s appearance was met with rousing applause from Bayern fans, who had been waiting in queue for his jersey since it became available that morning. However, he fell short of expectations and was overshadowed by Olmo’s brilliance. Bayern’s coach Thomas Tuchel apologized to Kane for his team’s poor performance and lack of service to their new star striker.
It was not a good day for us. We were not sharp enough, not aggressive enough, not precise enough. We did not create enough chances for Harry. I am sorry for him because he deserved a better debut.
As Leipzig won the DFL Cup for the first time in history, Kane will have to wait for his first trophy with Bayern. Olmo, meanwhile, solidified his position as one of Europe’s top performers and will look to carry that momentum into the Bundesliga and Champions League.