18 out of 19: Bayern's special Bundesliga dominance in the DFB Cup

Faithful companion of FC Bayern's cup dominance and terror: Thomas Müller.
IMAGO/osnapix

For eleven years, FC Bayern had a permanent subscription to the semi-finals of the DFB Cup – usually with an additional ticket for the final and the winners' podium. From the 2009/10 season until winning the title in 2020, the record cup winner was always at least in the semi-finals, won the cup six times during this period, only lost twice in the final and three times in the semi-finals. But since then the cup dominance has been lost.

Instead, a second-round curse quickly looms. Three times in the last four years it was over before the round of 16, and in the single exception of 2022/23, SC Freiburg became a spoilsport in the quarter-finals – also in the Munich Allianz Arena. Those previously included the then two-division team Kiel (5:6 iE 2020/21) and third-division team Saarbrücken (1:2 2023/24).

Will this meager second-round record stick in the minds of the Bayern professionals before the duel with Mainz on Wednesday evening (8:45 p.m., LIVE! on kicker)? Vincent Kompany vehemently disagrees. FC Bayern doesn't waste a second on these thoughts, the Bayern head coach assured in his press conference on Tuesday. “We can’t change anything about the past.”

Kompany's Bochum example

The 38-year-old then tried to compare the games against VfL Bochum from the recent past. The Munich team had lost twice away from the Revierklub in the past three seasons – but celebrated a 5-0 win last weekend. A similar relief should now also be achieved from the second round blemish in the cup.

It's just about “what we bring tomorrow,” says Kompany, “all the energy and all the focus is on that.” Sports director Christoph Freund also suggested a similar sentiment, noting that he “doesn’t have a long cup history with FC Bayern Munich” and that “I’ve only been here for a good year.” Of course he could still remember last season.

The elimination in Saarbrücken was “not so positive”. Rather, “very surprising and a disappointment.” But the favorite's only focus is on the future: “Our big goal is to come to Berlin this year, so we don't need to talk about it.” No matter what may have happened in the recent past.

Bayern's Bundesliga dominance

But: In recent years, Mainz has often presented itself as a stumbling block when Bayern guest appearances in Rheinhessen in the Bundesliga. It was only last season that the record champions ended their losing streak in Mainz after three league away defeats in the series.

On the other hand, there is a statistic that should be encouraging. In the DFB Cup, FCB has won 18 of the last 19 away games against a Bundesliga club, including a round of 16 in Mainz (4-0 in 2022/23 – without games on a neutral pitch). The only exception is also the reason why Kompany wants to keep this statistic out of the heads of his professionals: the exit in Mönchengladbach 2021/22, a crushing 0:5 – in the second round.