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Bundesliga Preview: Cup trouble puts a question mark over Bayern's strong start

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Bundesliga Preview: Cup trouble puts a question mark over Bayern's strong start
Sport

Sport

Bundesliga Preview: Cup trouble puts a question mark over Bayern's strong start

2025-08-28 15:07 Last Updated At:15:20

When Harry Kane scored Bayern Munich's sixth goal against Leipzig in the first game of the Bundesliga season, it seemed almost as if the title race could be over before anyone else had played a game.

Not so fast.

Bayern needed a late Kane header to claim a shaky 3-2 win at third-division Wehen Wiesbaden in the German Cup on Wednesday which showed Bayern can still be rattled by a determined opponent with well-timed counterattacks.

It wasn't a weakened Bayern team, either. Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz all played the full 90 minutes.

— Bayern visits Bavarian rival Augsburg on Saturday for a reunion with former player-turned-coach Sandro Wagner. He had a good start in his first head coach job with a 3-1 win at Freiburg last weekend.

— Most of Bayern's potential title rivals struggled last week, all except for Eintracht Frankfurt, which swept aside Werder Bremen 4-1 in its first league game since Hugo Ekitiké left for Liverpool. Next up is Hoffenheim away on Saturday.

— Promoted Hamburger SV hosts St. Pauli on Friday for what’s sure to be a heated city derby. Hamburg's promotion means it's the first time the two cross-city rivals have played in the top flight since 2011.

— Former Real Madrid right back Lucas Vázquez could make his debut for Bayer Leverkusen, which needs a win at Werder Bremen to bounce back from a loss in coach Erik ten Hag's first league game last week. Vázquez hasn't played for a team other than Madrid in 10 years.

— Carney Chukwuemeka is back at Borussia Dortmund after completing a permanent transfer following his loan from Chelsea last season. Dortmund faces Union Berlin on Sunday.

— Dortmund defenders Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Süle and Emre Can are all injured and stand-in defender Filippo Mané is suspended following his sending off last week, leaving coach Niko Kovač short of options at the back for Union's visit.

— Stuttgart needed penalties to get past Eintracht Braunschweig as it began its German Cup title defense on Tuesday, without defender Luca Jaquez after he broke his nose in a loss at Union Berlin last week. Jeff Chabot and Ameen Al-Dakhil are also out. Stuttgart hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.

— Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham will want to make amends for his disappointing Bundesliga debut, especially after his father caused a furor by speaking with sports director Sebastian Kehl outside the locker room afterward.

— Dortmund coach Kovac got a one-year contract extension this week. It's recognition of the turnaround since he took over in February with the team in 11th.

— A disputed Bundesliga goal brought a change to soccer regulations this week. Leipzig had a goal initially given against Bayern even though Castello Lukeba dribbled with the ball while taking an earlier free kick. The referee ruled it out on video review, but it turned out VAR rules shouldn't have allowed a review of how the play restarted. The International Football Association Board will allow VAR to intervene in the future, the German soccer federation says.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Bayern Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring his second goal during the DFB Pokal, Germany Cup, soccer match, against SV Wehen Wiesbaden, Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Bayern Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring his second goal during the DFB Pokal, Germany Cup, soccer match, against SV Wehen Wiesbaden, Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, right, celebrates scoring his second goal during the DFB Pokal, Germany Cup, soccer match, against SV Wehen Wiesbaden, Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, right, celebrates scoring his second goal during the DFB Pokal, Germany Cup, soccer match, against SV Wehen Wiesbaden, Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

MIAMI (AP) — Anfernee Simons scored 18 of his season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, Jaylen Brown added 27 and the Boston Celtics trailed most of the way before rallying to beat the Miami Heat 119-114 on Thursday night.

Sam Hauser added 17 points for the Celtics, who outscored Miami 36-21 in the fourth quarter and won after facing as much as a 19-point deficit. It was their second-biggest comeback win of the season, after coming from 20 down to beat Indiana on Dec. 22.

Simons had the second highest-scoring game for a reserve this season — Utah's Brice Sensabaugh had 43 on Wednesday night in a loss to Chicago — and became the fourth Celtics player in the last 50 years to score at least 39 off the bench. The others: Larry Bird, Todd Day and Payton Pritchard.

Norman Powell scored 26 points for Miami, which got 22 points apiece from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Andrew Wiggins added 16 for the Heat.

Simons had 11 consecutive Boston points in the fourth quarter to chip away at what was left of the Miami edge, and then Hauser got an open 3-pointer with 5:21 left to give the Celtics their first lead since the opening minute of the game.

The lead changed hands twice more, before Brown's 3-pointer with 4:05 remaining put Boston on top for good.

Miami started the game on a 28-9 run, putting the Celtics in a most unusual early position.

That 19-point margin — only about seven minutes into the game — matched the biggest first-quarter deficit the Celtics faced in a 304-game span since trailing Indiana by 20 early on in a game on Dec. 21, 2022. Boston also trailed Milwaukee by 19 in the first quarter on April 9, 2024.

The Heat played without starting point guard Davion Mitchell (left shoulder contusion) and sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left knee soreness).

Celtics: At Atlanta on Saturday night.

Heat: Host Oklahoma City on Saturday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, center, is defended by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, center, is defended by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) comes under pressure from Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) comes under pressure from Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) goes for the basket defended by Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware, obscured, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) goes for the basket defended by Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware, obscured, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after making a shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after making a shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches from courtside during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches from courtside during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

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