Bayern Munich face holders Stuttgart in the German Cup final on Saturday knowing defeat will sour what had been one of their most promising seasons in recent memory.
Just weeks ago, Bayern were flying high and hopeful of a treble after beating Real Madrid for the first time in over a decade, in the Champions League quarter-finals.
But despite challenging defending champions Paris Saint-Germain over two semi-final legs in a breathless display, Bayern finished a goal behind in the tie on aggregate and were eliminated.
Bayern have beaten Stuttgart three times already this season by a collective 11 goals to three. However a defeat on Saturday will sting a club with their ambitions — and their resources.
With just three defeats in all competitions, Bayern have been incredible this season.
Finishing the Bundesliga 16 points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, Bayern scored 122 goals in 34 matches to shatter the previous single season goalscoring record of 101, becoming the first side in league history to average over three goals a game.
But the Bavarian giants’ financial muscle has meant the league title has become par for the course in recent years, with 13 wins in the past 14 seasons.
A victory on Saturday would not just crown an excellent season, it would break what is becoming a surprisingly long drought in the competition.
The Bavarians have won the German Cup a record 20 times — 14 more than the next best side, Werder Bremen — but they have not lifted the trophy for six years dating back to 2020, the biggest gap between cup wins this century.
Bayern twice crashed out to lower league opposition in that run and only made it to the quarter-final stage once.
‘Painful’
In 2021-22, Bayern lost 5-0 to Borussia Moenchengladbach in the second round — their biggest defeat in any competition since the mid-1970s.
“We really want to win that again because it’s painful for us that we haven’t won the cup for six years,” Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said on Sunday.
Harry Kane finally broke through for a first team trophy when Bayern won the Bundesliga last season but admitted failing to win Saturday’s showpiece would put a different spin on the campaign.
“If we don’t win, it will leave a bitter taste in our mouths,” Kane said of the clash with Stuttgart at Bayern’s Bundesliga title celebrations in Munich on Sunday.
By lifting the cup on Saturday, Bayern would win the double for a remarkable 14th time. No other team in German history has done so more than once.
A Bayern-Stuttgart clash opened the season in the newly renamed Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, which features the league and cup holders.
That the domestic season should close with the same two teams duking it out shows how far Stuttgart have come under coach Sebastian Hoeness.
The coach, a nephew of Bayern powerbroker Uli, took over with Stuttgart in relegation danger in 2023 but guided them to two Champions League qualifications and their first silverware in 28 years.
Stuttgart may be the defending champions but striker Deniz Undav said the pressure is all on the Bavarian giants, with his side happy to play the role of spoilers.
“It’s a bonus game. We’ve got nothing to lose — we’re the complete underdog,” the Germany striker said, adding “there’s one clear favourite and that’s Bayern”.
