Bayern extend 14-match winning run with 4-1 win over Cologne

Bayern Munich completed a 4-1 win over Cologne in the German Cup on Wednesday at RheinEnergieStadion, with England captain Harry Kane scoring twice as the Bundesliga champions recorded their 14th straight victory to open the 2025-26 campaign. The run, covering domestic league, cup and European competition, sets a new mark for clubs from Europe's top five leagues, surpassing a 13-match start set by AC Milan in 1992-93.

Cologne took an unlikely lead in the 31st minute when Ragnar Ache headed in from a corner, marking the first time Bayern had fallen behind in a match since July. Bayern responded quickly, with Luis Díaz tapping in an equaliser shortly before Harry Kane turned and fired an overhead-style effort into the top corner to put Bayern ahead in the 38th minute. Match reports noted Díaz appeared to be offside on the equalising play but that the offside went unchallenged; video review is not used in the first two rounds of the competition. Kane added a second with a header from a Joshua Kimmich corner in the 64th minute, and Michael Olise completed the scoring on a counterattack in the 72nd minute after a Diaz assist.

The victory extended a run that includes wins across the...