Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala is set to resume training early in 2026.

According to Kicker, the 22-year-old will begin individual training as early as January 2 as he continues his recovery from the fibula fracture he suffered last summer.

The full Bayern squad is officially scheduled to return a day later, starting with performance tests at Säbener Straße.

Musiala already made notable progress before Christmas, rejoining partial team training.

The exact timeline for his return to competitive action remains uncertain, with Bayern having underlined that there is no time pressure on the attacking midfielder.

Bayer Leverkusen have knocked Borussia Dortmund out in the last 16 of the German Cup, Ibrahim Maza scoring the only goal in a 1-0 away win on Tuesday.
Maza’s 34th-minute strike put the 2024 cup winners on track for victory and take out instant revenge on Dortmund, who beat them 2-1 in their own backyard in the Bundesliga three days ago.

Leverkusen will be joined in the quarter-finals by RB Leipzig, who beat Magdeburg 3-1 at home, along with Hertha Berlin and St Pauli, who won earlier on Tuesday.

Bundesliga heavyweights Dortmund and Leverkusen had met 109 times in all competitions dating back to the early 1950s but had never faced off in the German Cup.

Dortmund had an early penalty shout waved away when former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah felled Carney Chukwuemeka inside the box.

A goalscorer in Leverkusen’s shock 2-0 Champions League win at Manchester City, the 20-year-old Maza danced through some sleepy Dortmund defence to blast his side in front.

Leverkusen scored again on the hour mark through Martin Terrier in a move started by Maza, but the goal was chalked off for a narrow offside.

Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi had a chance to level deep into stoppage time, but he headed inches wide of the post.

Elsewhere, Christoph Baumgartner scored twice as RB Leipzig came from a goal down to beat lowly Magdeburg.

Magdeburg, sitting dead last in the second division, took an early lead through a Silas Gnaka penalty.

Leipzig hit back with a long-range rocket from Antonio Nusa and led 2-1 at halftime after Baumgartner scored.

Assisted by Nusa, Baumgartner scored again early in the second-half to see the two-time cup winners through.

Earlier on Tuesday, St Pauli broke out of their recent Bundesliga funk to win 2-1 at three-time winners Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Pauli had lost their last nine league matches but goals from Martijn Kaars and Louis Oppie either side of a header from Gladbach’s Haris Tabakovic had the Hamburg-based side marching into the final eight.

In the German capital, Hertha Berlin thumped 2024 finalists Kaiserslautern 6-1, with 16-year-old Kennet Eichhorn becoming the youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history.

Bayern Munich, winners a record 20 times, play at Union Berlin on Wednesday while holders Stuttgart are away at Bochum.

Luis Diaz scored in stoppage time to help Bayern Munich bounce back from Wednesday’s Champions League loss to Arsenal in a 3-1 comeback home win over St Pauli on Saturday.
Suspended for the Arsenal defeat Bayern’s first in any competition this season Diaz headed in a Harry Kane cross to send Bayern in front in the third minute of injury time.

Nicolas Jackson then scored four minutes later to add gloss to the victory as Bayern avoided dropping points for just the second time this Bundesliga season.

Earlier, Diaz created Bayern’s equaliser for Raphael Guerreiro before half-time, after Andreas Hountondji had given lowly Pauli a surprise lead six minutes in.

RB Leipzig’s scoreless draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday means Bayern will finish the round eight points clear atop the table.

Arriving in Munich after a club record eight straight Bundesliga defeats, Pauli took a surprise early lead.

The visitors forced Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich into a mistake in midfield and Hountondji outmuscled Kim Min-jae to claim the ball before scoring past Manuel Neuer at the near post.

Bayern youngsters Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof took turns hitting the post before Diaz acrobatically created the leveller.

Redeeming himself for his early mistake, Kim chipped a long pass to Diaz in the box. The Colombian fell but somehow squeezed the ball to Guerreiro, who blasted in from close range.

Kane hit the woodwork with 10 minutes remaining but was crucial in Diaz’s late strike, lofting a ball goalwards for the former Liverpool forward to head home, before Chelsea loanee Jackson added a third with the final kick of the match.

Elsewhere, Heidenheim scored twice after the 90th minute to snatch a 2-1 away win at Union Berlin and climb off the foot of the table.

Germany starlet Said El Mala scored a stoppage-time equaliser for promoted Cologne in a 1-1 draw away at Werder Bremen.

Hoffenheim jumped up to fourth in the table with a 3-0 home win over floundering Augsburg, who are winless since early October.

Later on Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen face Borussia Dortmund at home and can draw level on points with second-placed RB Leipzig with victory.

Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer says Bayern Munich know how to “hurt” Paris Saint-Germain as the Bavarians brace for their away clash with the Champions League title-holders on Tuesday.

PSG won the Champions League last year at Bayern’s Allianz Arena home, thumping Inter Milan 5-0, but the Bavarian giants travel to the Parc des Princes in incredible form.

Bayern have won all 15 of their matches in all competitions so far this campaign, setting a record for the best-ever start in Europe’s top-five leagues.

The 39-year-old captain said his side “don’t have any fear” of the French champions, adding: “We love to play against PSG and we’re playing to win.”

Neuer, a two-time Champions League winner with Bayern, said the visitors have a clear plan to rattle PSG.

“We are both teams that like to have the ball, that’s well-known, and perhaps we don’t like to defend much,” he said.

“There will certainly be opportunities to counter-attack. You have to be wide awake for that, and also try to have a good defensive structure against these strong and fast opponents.

“That’s exactly how we want to hurt the Parisians.”

Front-and-centre in Bayern’s historic season has been the superb form of England captain Harry Kane.

Kane has 22 goals in Bayern’s 15-game winning streak but has also been playing a greater creative role in the side, dropping deep to help out in build-up play.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany told reporters Kane’s “understanding of the role has evolved” this season.

“It’s a bit of a mix of creating the conditions for him to do what he does really well, but ensuring he is where he needs to be to score goals,” the Belgian said.

“Harry has a lot of experience and a good feeling for the game… Harry doesn’t have a very different role to last year, but he’s evolved in how he sees the role.”

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has insisted that new signing Nicolas Jackson will not be burdened with pressure to deliver immediately at the club.

Speaking after a training session, Kompany praised the striker’s character and how quickly he has settled into the squad. “It was a good training, but more importantly, his personality fits well with the team. He’s a good person and my wish is that he will score a lot of goals,” the coach said.

Kompany, however, stressed that Jackson will be given the freedom to adapt at his own pace. “He will not be put under pressure from my side,” he added.

The Senegalese forward joined Bayern from Chelsea on loan after a transfer drama and is expected to add firepower to the club’s attack as they look to challenge for domestic and European honours.

Jackson faces a swift reunion with his parent club in Wednesday night’s Champions League high-profile league phase opener at the Allianz Arena,

Denmark international Christian Eriksen has joined German Bundesliga club Wolfsburg on a free transfer until 2027, the club announced late on Wednesday.

Eriksen, 33, had been a free agent since his contract with Manchester United expired in the summer.

“I’m really looking forward to this new adventure. I’m convinced that together we can make a difference in Wolfsburg,” Eriksen said in a statement.

Wolfsburg is Eriksen’s third club since he suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s game against Finland at the Euros in 2021.

Although he made a comeback after being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), he was forced to leave his then-club Inter Milan as Italian regulations prevent athletes from competing with ICDs.

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After a highly-successful six-month spell at Brentford, Eriksen joined United in 2022.

Although he was initially a success, he gradually fell out of favour, first under Erik ten Hag and then even more so under Ruben Amorim, and left the club at the end of last season.

Eriksen, who also played for Tottenham and Ajax earlier in his career, has 144 Denmark caps, scoring 46 goals.

Eriksen becomes the sixth Danish member of Wolfsburg’s squad alongside Joakim Maehle, Jesper Lindstrom, Andreas Skov Olsen, Jonas Wind and Adam Daghim.

Bayer Leverkusen on Monday appointed Dane Kasper Hjulmand as coach, replacing Erik ten Hag, who was fired after just two league games in charge.

The former Denmark coach has been appointed on a contract until 2027.

“It is an honour to be entrusted with such a team”, Hjulmand said in a statement, adding: “I’m motivated to shape the future of the club.”

The appointment ends a chaotic fortnight for Leverkusen, who sacked former Manchester United manager Ten Hag on September 1, just two games into the Bundesliga season.

Ten Hag replaced Xabi Alonso, who took Leverkusen to an unbeaten league and cup double in 2023-24 — the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title — before moving to Real Madrid in the summer.

Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes admitted to an error in hiring Ten Hag but said letting him continue would have been “an even bigger mistake.”

Runners-up last season, Leverkusen collected just one point from their opening two matches.

Ten Hag hit back in a statement, calling the sacking “unprecedented” and “a complete surprise”.

Hjulmand is expected to be on the bench for Leverkusen’s home match against Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday.

Hjulmand emerged as one of several candidates to take over the vacant position, alongside one-time Barcelona coach and player Xavi, former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou and Raul, the Spain striker who recently coached Real Madrid’s second team.

The 53-year-old resigned as Denmark coach in July 2024, having taken the side to the semi-finals of the Euros in 2021 where they narrowly lost to England. He also took Denmark to the last 16 of Euro 2024, where they were eliminated by hosts Germany.

Rolfes said Monday the new manager would “set up a clear and dominant style of play with our team” and will “strive for the most ambitious national and international goals.”

The manager took Nordsjaelland to their first and only Danish title in 2011-12.

Hjulmand has experience in Germany, having coached Bundesliga side Mainz for just under one season in 2014-15, but was sacked after a run of one win in 13 games.

After Friday’s match against Frankfurt, Leverkusen kick off their Champions League campaign with a trip to Danish champions Copenhagen.

Bayern Munich spent a lot of time this summer pondering a number of different attacking targets. They wanted Florian Wirtz before Liverpool broke their then-transfer record to land him from Bayer Leverkusen. They wanted Nico Williams too before the Spanish international performed a Jordan Belfort-esque U-turn to stay at Athletic Club. Bayern were in for countless players.

Bradley Barcola, Christopher Nkunku, Nick Woltemade, Rafael Leão, Leandro Trossard and Takefusa Kubo, just to name a few more, were all linked with the German champions at one point or another of the summer transfer window. In the end, though, Luis Díaz was the signing they settled on and the early indications are that Bayern’s messy process may have led to the ideal outcome.

Díaz has the ground running in Germany, registering three goals and two assists in his first three appearances for his new team. Bayern Munich are already sitting top of the Bundesliga table after two games of the new season and their new Colombian winger will help them stay there.

On the other side, the Bavarians also have Michael Olise who has notched three times in his first two Bundesliga outings this term. The pair are Bayern Munich’s best wingers since the days of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben. Díaz and Olise could take Vincent Kompany’s team to even higher heights this season.

Last season was a broadly successful one for Bayern. They reclaimed the Bundesliga title at a canter as Kompany put in place new foundations in his first season as manager. Indeed, Bayern Munich became more possession-oriented. They controlled more matches. There were, however, some deficiencies.

One such deficiency was Bayern Munich’s vulnerability in defensive transition. Kompany generally likes his backline to play on the halfway line, but this left the Bavarians too exposed against opponents with pace. This was most brutally exploited by Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Jonathan Tah has arrived from Bayer Leverkusen to offer more recovery speed in defence, but Díaz’s signing could be just as crucial to Bayern Munich making themselves tougher to play through this season due to the Colombian’s willingness and ability to press high and hard from the front.

This was one of the things that made Díaz such a good fit for Liverpool. His energy and intensity made him effective on both sides of the ball. The Colombian already ranks among Bayern Munich’s most effective players at winning the ball back in the attacking third with Olise also up there.

The scary thing about Díaz’s early-season output for the rest of the Bundesliga is that he could have scored even more. The 28-year-old has spurned a number of big opportunities, most notably against Augsburg on Saturday when Díaz somehow failed to find the net from just two yards out, but there’s no doubt Bayern’s forward line is now even more fearsome.

“When you watch the game closely, it’s not always his teammates preparing the chances for him. He works himself a lot for these chances because he’s always active,” said Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany when asked about Díaz’s misses. “For me it’s more important to score a goal in the right moment than maybe score four or five in a game and then go without scoring for five months. He’s always there, always a threat and we’re happy with his energy.”

It remains to be seen how Díaz will be impacted once Jamal Musiala returns from injury. The German international is a number 10 by trade, but likes to drift out to the left side to get on the ball. This could affect Díaz who does his best work when he can get isolated and get one-on-one against opposition defenders.

The deadline day addition of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea has also added another elite-level player into Bayern’s attacking rotation, meaning Díaz might face a sterner fight for game time even if the Senegalese striker plays a different position. Kompany could deploy Harry Kane and Jackson as a front two. He now has that flexibility.

Bayern Munich still have flaws. They still lack a natural number six at the base of the midfield. There are concerns over the right back position with Konrad Laimer still moonlighting there. Many supporters believe the club should have done more in the summer transfer window to round out the squad.

In Díaz, though, Bayern Munich found themselves a proven difference-maker who is already contributing just a few matches into his career at the Allianz Arena. This comes after a debut 2024/25 season from Olise which put him among the best wingers in the world. The spirit of Ribery and Robben can be found in Bayern’s two current wide threats.

Bayer Leverkusen parted ways with Erik ten Hag on Monday, with the Dutchman having overseen just two Bundesliga matches.

Erik ten Hag was left shocked by Bayer Leverkusen's decision to sack him on Monday.

Ten Hag was dismissed by Leverkusen after taking charge of only two Bundesliga games.

The former Manchester United boss was appointed as Xabi Alonso's successor, yet Leverkusen's squad has undergone a big overhaul, with key players like Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka and Jeremie Frimpong departing.

But with Leverkusen having only taken a point from the first six on offer in the league, they have elected to make a change. It makes Ten Hag the first coach in Bundesliga history to take over a team during the close-season and then see his tenure end just two top-flight games into the campaign.

It is a decision that left Ten Hag stunned.

"The decision by Bayer Leverkusen’s management this morning to put me on a leave of absence came as a complete surprise. To part ways with a coach after just two league matches is unprecedented," he said via his agency SEG Football.

"This summer, many key players who were part of past successes left the squad. Building a new, cohesive team is a careful process that requires both time and trust. A new coach deserves the space to implement his vision, set the standards, shape the squad and leave his mark on the style of play.

"I started this job with full conviction and energy, but unfortunately the management was not willing to grant me the time and trust I needed, which I deeply regret. I feel this was never a relationship based on mutual trust.

"Throughout my career, every season I have been able to see through to the end as a coach has brought success. Clubs that placed their trust in me have been rewarded with success and silverware.

"Finally, I would like to thank the Bayer Leverkusen supporters for their warmth and passion, and I wish the squad and staff every success for the remainder of the season."

Bayern Munich held on against a spirited Augsburg fightback in order to earn a 3-2 victory and continue their winning start to the Bundesliga.

After a brilliant first half, Vincent Kompany's side had no answers as the second half went on, though they managed to avoid a late shock.

Luis Diaz had a gaping goal in front of him 20 seconds in, but could not take advantage, as Michael Olise's cross clipped the back of his heels and bounced away from goal.

Bayern kept the pressure on, though, eventually getting their reward from Serge Gnabry in the 28th minute when he rose high to nod Harry Kane's cross into the bottom-left corner.

Diaz doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time, stretching out his leg to guide Konrad Laimer's low delivery past Finn Dahmen. And Olise got their third three minutes after the break with his low effort deflecting past the goalkeeper.

However, Augsburg pulled their first goal back just five minutes later as an unmarked Kristijan Jakic volleyed past Manuel Neuer into the bottom-right corner.

The home fans were then given more hope in the 76th minute, when Sacha Boey failed to clear his lines and Mert Komur guided a low finish into the net with the help of a small deflection.

Augsburg were not able to find a late leveller, and were not happy late on as a nasty head collision between Boey and Fellhauer saw the latter stretchered off after receiving treatment. Boey received a yellow card, much to the hosts' frustration.

Data Debrief: Bayern just get over the line

Bayern have now won 11 of their 15 Bundesliga away games against Augsburg (D1 L3), but they had to do it the hard way at WWK Arena on Saturday.

They had 20 shots worth 3.82 expected goals (xG), with 10 of those on target. 12 of those came in the second half, but they were instead left to rue defensive slips.

Augsburg, by contrast, managed just 0.5 xG, with three shots on target, but they also had four offside calls, with the fine margins ultimately deciding the match.

Bayern were knocked out of the cup before the semi-final stages in each of the last five seasons, but they started those campaigns with comfortable wins and clean sheets. And, they were also on the front foot from the first whistle here. Luis Diaz, who scored in the Supercup and his Bundesliga debut, had a great chance after 10 seconds.

For their credit, the 3. Liga outfit still managed to create some promising attacks against the Rekordmeister after the early chance. Bayern’s first goal came from yet another composed penalty-kick by Harry Kane in the 16th minute, but it should’ve been a bit earlier.

Jordy Gillekens touched the ball with his hands twice inside the box, but Daniel Siebert gave a free-kick for the hosts for a supposed foul afterwards. When Ryan Johansson pulled down Sacha Boey minutes later, the referee pointed to the spot. With no VAR in the first round of Pokal, both decisions had to be made on the spot.

In the 20th minute, Diaz was thwarted by Florian Stritzel once again from extending his goal-scoring run. Five minutes later, the Colombian winger finally beat the goalkeeper, but he was still denied by a combined last-ditch block from Justin Janitzek and Gillekens.

Stritzel made another superb save from Raphael Guerreiro’s shot after the half-hour mark. Diaz’s unsuccessful bicycle kick was the next big action before Wiesbaden’s two strikers squandered a rare opportunity. Nikolas Agrafiotis failed to test Jonas Urbig after Min-jae Kim blocked Fatih Kaya’s initial attempt.

There was another debatable incident five minutes after the break, but Siebert decided against giving a penalty-kick for the third-tier team. A minute later, Bayern extended their lead through Michael Olise following some slick football.

The visitors were in full control after that as Guerreiro’s goal was disallowed for offside, and Stritzel made another super save from Diaz. The former Liverpool player didn’t stop there as he blasted it wide from a one-on-one with his detractor.

On the other side, Kaya only needed two chances to have his name on the scoresheet. The captain provided a stunning finish from an inviting cross by Niklas May as the hosts got into the game out of the blue. After not conceding a goal from an open play in the last ten first round Pokal ties, Bayern were suddenly exposed by the relentless Kaya.

The 25-year-old leveled the score with a composed finish to beat Urbig the second time. Wiesbaden scored two or more goals for the fourth time in as many games this season, but the big news was that they came from two goals behind against the Bundesliga powerhouse.

Despite his two goals, Kaya wasn’t the “Man of the Match”, however. Wiesbaden showed great fight to block consecutive shots from substitute Serge Gnabry and Kane, but that move resulted in a second penalty-kick for Bayern.

Having scored each of his first 22 penalties in Bayern colors – including one in the first-half – no one expected a different outcome when the England captain prepared to take it. However, Stritzel not only saved the penalty, but he also made sure that Kane would not convert the rebound before Janitzek finally cleared the ball from Wiesbaden’s box.

The 31-year-old goalkeeper also denied Olise from scoring a trademark goal before Diaz had another blunder on his miserable Pokal debut. However, Bayern still managed to find a way in the 94th minute as Kane heads home Gnabry’s cross. It has been a remarkable round of Pokal action, but Werder Bremen are the only Bundesliga side to get eliminated.

For weeks, Bayern Munich pursued Nick Woltemade, but all of their offers were rejected by VfB Stuttgart, with much of the back-and-forth between the clubs playing out in the media.

Now, with Stuttgart having made it clear that the transfer will not happen this summer, the situation has left no winners, according to Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.

“I don’t think this kind of transfer drama leaves a player unaffected. I always find it very unfortunate when all of this is carried out publicly by all sides,” Nagelsmann said at a press conference in Frankfurt on Wednesday.

“It’s bad for the player, bad for the clubs. Nobody wants to lose face, and then it all gets super complicated."

He added, however, that he has found Woltemade to be “completely calm” despite all the speculation.

“I’ve spoken with him twice and asked about his ideas and wishes. I also gave him some guidance – not about where he should move, I don’t do that – but rather that it’s important to me that he plays,” the coach said.

“I told him that he’s welcome to join Bayern Munich – but also that he needs to realize that with only 25 percent playing time, it could be tight for him to make the World Cup squad."

Should Woltemade stay in Stuttgart, it would be “anything but a bad decision,” according to Nagelsmann.

“If he goes to Bayern Munich and plays, that’s good for me too,” the coach added before joking:

“If he goes there and doesn’t play, then he’ll have to return in the winter.”

As we’ve seen in many stadiums throughout the first round of the DFB-Pokal, Braunschweig fans created an electric atmosphere at the start of the game. However, it was the visitors who had the first chance when Chris Führich’s inviting cross was nearly met by Deniz Undav.

Alexander Nübel, who missed the Supercup defeat because of an elbow injury, had a worrying start in the other box as Erencan Yardımcı came very close to dispossessing him. Moments later, the German international was at fault for the game’s opening goal.

Braunschweig’s captain Sven Köhler scored his first goal for the club with a long-range strike, but Nübel should’ve done much better to prevent it. Stuttgart quickly levelled the score with another move started on the left side. Ermedin Demirovic headed home a typical Maximilian Mittelstädt delivery with a composed finish in the 11th minute.

The tempo slowed down after the equalizer with Stuttgart threatening from a couple of long throw-ins by Ramon Hendriks, whose every touch was greeted by boos from Braunschweig fans after he picked up a yellow card for dangerous play. Lorenzo Assignon also had a shot on target ten minutes before the half-time break.

Braunschweig’s best chance to retake the lead arrived in the 40th minute when Yardımcı hit the side netting from a promising move. In the closing stages of the first-half, Demirovic and Köhler attempted similar chances to the way they scored, but both goalkeepers easily caught the ball.

The hosts had the first chance after the break from the hardworking Yardımcı. The Turkish striker failed to keep his shot on target, however. In contrast, Demiorvic was efficient with his chances, unlike the Hoffenheim loanee. The Bosnian international put Stuttgart ahead for the first time with his second goal of the night at the hour mark.

Angelo Stiller was credited with the assist as he made a great run down the left flank before setting up the striker, who timed his run perfectly. Braunschweig responded with a couple of changes after the goal with Christian Conteh and Levente Szabó entering the scene.

Sebastian Hoeneß also opted for attacking substitutions with German internationals Nick Woltemade and Jamie Leweling coming on for the final twenty minutes. However, the next goal had nothing to do with fresh legs.

Braunschweig’s left wingback Fabio Di Michele Sanchez smashed home a ferocious shot above Nübel’s head from an unexpected angle. With only five minutes left, the hosts were back on top with yet another cracking strike from Sanchez.

Following a well-worked move, the 22-year-old beat Stuttgart’s goalkeeper with an unstoppable shot. Sanchez only scored two goals last season, but they were also in big moments – a surprising win against HSV and in the extra-time of the relegation/promotion playoff tie versus Saarbrücken.

However, that wasn’t the end of the pulsating tie here. Substitutes Leweling and Woltemade combined well as the striker in FC Bayern’s wishlist netted his first goal of the season in the 89th minute. Woltemade showed his prowess once again in injury-time, but he was denied a beautiful assist due to a blunder miss by Demirovic, who could’ve won it for the holders by completing his hat-trick.

Instead, the tie went into extra-time. Nonetheless, Stuttgart did take the lead in the first minute of extra-time with another delightful play on the wing: this time from the new signing Tiago Tomás. The Portuguese winger showed mesmerizing skill before his delivery caused an own-goal by substitute Sanoussy Ba.

Lukas Frenkert was so close to tying the score with the game’s fourth equalizer (by either side), but his header was rebounded off the crossbar in the 98th minute. No worries, though. It’s 4-4 at the end of the first-half of extra-time following an expert finish from Conteh.

It could’ve easily been 5-4 for Braunschweig as they had two great chances, including Nübel’s first save of the night to deny Conteh a quickfire brace. Stuttgart started the final 15 minutes strongly with Woltemade at the center of their promising moves. But there were no more goals.

Both teams led twice over the course of 120 minutes, but there was a response at the other end each time. The drama won’t end there as the penalty shootout saw a head-to-head between two former Schalke and FC Bayern goalkeepers.

Nübel and Ron-Thorben Hoffmann were beaten in the first attempts, but the Bayern loanee gave the holders an advantage by saving Johan Gómez’s effort. Nübel, who had a poor game, followed it up with another save from Max Marie.

But, it’s 2-1 after three attempts each as Hoffmann denied former Real Madrid youngster Chema Andrés. And, it’s 3-3 before it enters sudden death. Dan-Axel Zagadou failed to keep his kick on target on his long-awaited return from a serious injury.

It went all the way to the tenth kicks of the sides before the deciding moment. Nübel saved his third penalty from Frenkert, and Stuttgart's new signing Assignon ended the marathon before it was the turn of the goalkeepers.

This was the fourth cup meeting between the sides. In total, 27 goals (excluding 15 penalties, of course) were scored across these ties with Stuttgart progressing to the next rounds on all occasions.

Eljif Elmas is reportedly on the verge of leaving RB Leipzig to return to his former club SSC Napoli.

Expectations were high when Eljif Elmas joined RB Leipzig from Napoli for a reported €24 million in January 2024.

However, the 25-year-old has struggled to make the hoped-for impact at the Red Bull Arena, and his time with the club now appears to be drawing to a close.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Elmas is on the verge of a return to Napoli, with negotiations between the two clubs understood to be in the final stages.

Elmas spent the second half of last season on loan at Torino.

Overall, he has made 22 appearances for Leipzig, contributing a single assist.

With the transfer deadline fast approaching, Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany is eager to bolster his squad.

According to Sport Bild, Kompany is particularly keen on RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons and even visited supervisory board chairman Uli Hoeneß personally to try to convince him to sign the Dutchman.

But although board member for sport Max Eberl supported the move, Hoeneß remained unconvinced, and the supervisory board continues to insist that only a loan signing would be possible at this late stage of the transfer window.

This, however, is not an option for Leipzig, who want to sell their star midfielder outright. Negotiations with Chelsea are reportedly already well advanced.

Lately, Bayern have mainly been linked with two Chelsea players: Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson. The big question is whether the Blues will allow either of them to leave on loan rather than on a permanent deal.