What do you do the night you are supposed to miss your Ballon d'Or winner? If you are Bayern Munich, you score six. Bayern rested Harry Kane completely on Wednesday and still demolished second-tier Magdeburg 6-1 in the German Cup — a result that says everything about the attacking depth now stacked behind the England captain, two days before Der Klassiker.
Kane, crowned Ballon d'Or winner in London on Monday, received a guard of honour from his team-mates before kick-off at the Allianz Arena and then watched the entire match from the bench as Bayern managed his workload, as Reuters reported. To be clear: Kane is not injured — he was rested, and Flashscore's report confirms he stayed on the bench with Saturday's Bundesliga showdown against Borussia Dortmund in mind. What followed was a depth chart come to life: Michael Olise scored twice, Ismael Saibari scored one and made another, Alphonso Davies and defender Nathaniel Brown struck three minutes apart, and teenager David Santos Daiber completed the rout in stoppage time.
The Olise show — and the supporting cast
Olise was the spearhead: a tap-in from Saibari's square ball on 10 minutes, an assist returned in kind for Saibari's delicate finish, and a chipped penalty early in the second half. But the most striking name on the teamsheet was Lennart Karl. The teenage forward's through ball started the move for the opener, and he laid on the goals for Davies and Brown as Bayern scored three times in the closing stages. Add Serge Gnabry — who scored his 100th Bundesliga goal in Sunday's win at Freiburg, as we reported in the Freiburg match report — and a fit-again Davies cutting in from the left, and Bayern's front line suddenly has layers.
Depth that survives the treatment room
The point is sharpened by who was missing. Luis Díaz is sidelined with a muscle tear — we reported his injury last week — and Jamal Musiala is still working his way back from a thigh problem, yet Bayern produced six goals from five different scorers against a Magdeburg side that levelled at 1-1 and hit the post before half-time. Head coach Vincent Kompany was discharged from hospital this week after collapsing at training on Friday, with assistant Aaron Danks again taking the team — and even the dugout, it seems, has depth.
So what — the real test starts Saturday
Magdeburg are a second-division side; nobody at Bayern will mistake Wednesday for a title statement. The real examination of this depth comes now: Dortmund visit the Allianz Arena on Saturday in Der Klassiker, with Kane expected to return, and Bayern then travel to face Atlético Madrid in the Champions League next week. Bayern lead the Bundesliga title race, and for the first time in the Kane era, their season no longer looks hostage to one man's fitness. That changes the psychology of every opponent who used to build a game plan around stopping a single striker.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: Bayern have quietly built the deepest attack in Germany. Olise is a superstar in his own right, Karl is a genuine emerging weapon, and the goals are coming from everywhere — full-backs included. Kane remains the main man, but he is finally a luxury rather than a life-support system. Will Bayern's depth carry them to a treble this season? Have your say in the comments.
