Berlin, May 24 (IANS) Harry Kane scored a second-half hat-trick as Bayern Munich ended their wait for the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) with a 3-0 win over VfB Stuttgart in the final.

The victory gave Bayern their 21st DFB-Pokal title, their first in the competition since 2020, and completed a domestic double, having already won the Bundesliga title. Stuttgart, meanwhile, ended the season without a trophy.

Bayern have won the Bundesliga title for the 35th time and the DFB Cup for the 21st time this season – it’s also the 14th double in the club’s history.

Stuttgart, chasing another cup triumph, began with greater bite and kept Bayern pinned back for much of the opening half. Deniz Undav headed straight at Jonas Urbig inside two minutes, before Angelo Stiller missed from distance after a loose Bayern pass, reports Xinhua.

Maximilian Mittelstadt twice threatened from the left, first striking the side-netting and then forcing Urbig to turn a low drive around the post. Bayern, with Urbig starting in place of Manuel Neuer, struggled for fluency despite long spells of possession.

Kane headed over in Bayern’s clearest early opening, while Luis Diaz shot at Alexander Nubel after half an hour. Nubel was tested more seriously before the interval, reacting well to keep out a Josip Stanisic strike from around 20 meters.

Stuttgart carried the sharper edge after the break, but the final turned in the 55th minute. After a foul on Michael Olise, Bayern restarted quickly, Olise advanced on the right and crossed for Kane, who found space in the area and headed in.

The match was then halted for several minutes after pyrotechnics were lit in both ends of the Olympiastadion, with smoke hanging over the pitch. When play resumed, Bayern looked calmer and Stuttgart’s earlier pressure faded.

Konrad Laimer wasted a clear chance to double the lead after Nubel had saved from Luis Diaz, but Kane soon settled the contest. In the 80th minute he combined with Luis Diaz, moved the ball past Chema Andres and finished into the right corner.

Kane completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the first minute of stoppage time after Stiller handled during a failed clearance.

“It was a bit about being patient. The first half was tough, but we made them tired. In the second half it was a good performance and overall we deserved the win. I am so proud of the boys. It’s amazing,” Kane said.

“We played against a strong opponent. The first half was very even, then we raised our level in the second half. We played an almost perfect cup final,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

“The disappointment is still there and it is big. I know that for 55 minutes we played a very good game, exactly what was needed. We were close,” Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness said.

–IANS

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