Cologne, Oct 30 (IANS) Bayern Munich advanced to the German Cup round of 16 after recovering from an early setback to defeat a spirited Cologne 4-1 on Wednesday.

The win marked Bayern’s 14th straight victory in all competitions, a new record for clubs from Europe’s top five leagues, surpassing AC Milan’s 13-match start to the 1992-1993 season.

The hosts began with purpose, pressing aggressively and unsettling the Bundesliga champions. Their bright start paid off after half an hour when Ragnar Ache rose highest to nod in Isak Johannesson’s corner. Yet their lead lasted only five minutes as Luis Diaz leveled from close range, despite strong suspicions of offside in the buildup.

The equalizer shifted momentum firmly toward the visitors. Harry Kane put Bayern ahead before the break with a composed finish, spinning away from his marker and curling into the far corner. Cologne, who had shown impressive organization early on, faded after the interval as Bayern tightened their grip.

Kane added his second midway through the second half, heading home Joshua Kimmich’s corner for his 22nd goal of the campaign in just 14 appearances. Substitute Michael Olise completed the scoring, finishing off a swift counterattack set up by Diaz. Cologne nearly pulled one back when Linton Maina struck the post late on, but Bayern’s control remained absolute.

“We showed great mentality today. After going 1-0 down, we turned it around to lead 2-1 before halftime. In the second half, we kept our intensity high and remained dangerous throughout, so overall I am very pleased with the performance,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

Bayern hosts Bayer Leverkusen in Saturday’s Bundesliga evening fixture, while Cologne visits newly promoted Hamburg on Sunday.

Elsewhere in the second round of the German Cup, Stuttgart beat Mainz 2-0 through goals from Luca Jaquez and Atakan Karazor.

Leverkusen overcame a stubborn ten-man Paderborn 4-2 after extra time, while Freiburg defeated Dusseldorf 3-1.

Magdeburg downed Illertissen 3-0, Kaiserslautern edged Furth 1-0, Darmstadt cruised past Schalke 4-0, and Union Berlin prevailed 2-1 over Arminia Bielefeld in extra time.

–IANS

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