Jamal Musiala shines as Bayern Munich advanced to the next round of the DFB-Pokal with a convincing 4-0 victory over Mainz 05 on Wednesday.
The Bavarian giants dominated from the start, with Jamal Musiala stealing the show with his first competitive hat-trick for the club.
The 21-year-old Musiala opened the scoring in just two minutes, converting a low cross from Alphonso Davies, cleverly assisted by Harry Kane.
The German international doubled the lead later in the half, pouncing on a rebound after Kane’s header was saved.
Afterward, Bayern added two more goals in stoppage time, with Leroy Sane scoring the third and Musiala completing his first hat-trick. The young star’s clinical finishing and composure in front of goal proved decisive.
Bayern Munich took their foot off the gas in the second half, substituting Musiala and Kane. Despite a drop in intensity, Vincent Kompany’s side continued to create scoring opportunities, only denied by Mainz keeper Robin Zentner.
The final scoreline read 4-0 in favour of Bayern Munich with goals from Musiala (2′, 30′, 45+1′) and Sane (45′) while Harry Kane provided two assists.
Meanwhile, Musiala’s impressive display marked his 50th goal in 174 matches for Bayern and his hat-trick was a testament to his growing importance to the team.
This win comes as a relief for Bayern, having been knocked out at this stage in three of the last four seasons, including a shocking defeat to third-tier side Saarbrücken last season.
Jamal Musiala Channels Stephen Curry in Hat-Trick Celebration
Bayern Munich’s rising star Jamal Musiala paid homage to his great idol, basketball player Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, by celebrating his third goal and completing a hat-trick with a finger count gesture on the pitch.
Musiala shared after the match:”I’m happy that I could finally do Steph Curry’s three-point celebration. That was what I was looking forward to the most.”
When asked if he practiced the gesture in front of a mirror, the 21-year-old admitted, “For years!”
Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany compare Musiala to Zidane and Ronaldinho
Young footballer Musiala has been drawing comparisons to legends Zinédine Zidane and Ronaldinho by coach Vincent Kompany, following his impressive goal-scoring record.
With seven goals in eleven matches, Musiala’s improvement is evident, but Kompany warns against solely focusing on goals in modern football.
Kompany stated: “I don’t want us to measure his performances and qualities only by goals. That’s a problem of modernity.”
“There’s now this focus on goals, goals, goals because of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.”
He believes Musiala has the potential to make a significant impact on the game without necessarily scoring as much as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He added: “But what about Zinédine Zidane or Ronaldinho or so many great players who shaped the game without scoring?” Kompany asked. “Jamal can become one of those players, even if he doesn’t score 1,000 goals.”
What’s next?
Bayern Munich will face Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday, November 2nd, looking to continue their winning momentum.
