Berlin, Dec 4 (NationPress) Bayern Munich advanced to the DFB Cup quarterfinals with a thrilling 3-2 victory against Union Berlin, highlighted by two own goals from Union, two penalties, and intense late-game pressure.

The home team, energised by a passionate crowd, began the match with aggression but faced an early setback when Ilyas Ansah inadvertently redirected a Joshua Kimmich corner into his own goal. Harry Kane then added a second for Bayern, heading in from close proximity following another set piece from Kimmich.

Union fought back just before halftime, awarded a penalty after a VAR review found Jonathan Tah guilty of handball. Leopold Querfeld expertly converted, sending Manuel Neuer the wrong way.

Just before the halftime whistle, Union's troubles with set pieces continued as Diogo Leite, under pressure at the far post, accidentally lobbed a clearance attempt over goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow and into the net, allowing Bayern to head into the break with a 3-1 lead.

The second half brought more drama. An early injury to Aleksandar Pavlovic forced Vincent Kompany to adjust his lineup, and Union capitalized on this when Kane was penalized for a foul on Leite in the box.

Querfeld once again stepped up, converting the penalty to bring Union within one goal, leading to a frenzied last thirty minutes as Union pressed for an equalizer while Bayern defended deeper.

Neuer was forced into several crucial saves, and Querfeld almost completed a remarkable hat-trick with a late header that narrowly missed. Nevertheless, the record German champions secured their position in the quarterfinals set for February.

Union Berlin captain Rani Khedira expressed disappointment, stating, "It's a tough and unlucky defeat. We earned respect with our performance today, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are out of the competition." Vincent Kompany reflected on a strong first half but acknowledged the team's shortcomings in the second half, hoping for a return to Berlin for the final.

In other round of 16 matches, VfB Stuttgart secured their quarterfinal spot with a 2-0 victory over Bochum, highlighted by an own goal from Philipp Strompf, who was later sent off, before Deniz Undav sealed the win. SC Freiburg also made it to the quarterfinals, defeating Darmstadt 2-0 with Vincenzo Grifo playing a crucial role despite missing a clear chance late in the game. Meanwhile, Hamburg was eliminated by Holstein Kiel, conceding a late equalizer in extra time before falling 4-2 in a penalty shootout.