(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-08-07 09:05

BERLIN - Bayern Munich survived a penalty shootout to defeat third division amateurs Wacker Burghausen in the first round of the German Cup on Monday.

Bayern won 4-3 on penalties after the match had finished 1-1 after 120 minutes. Captain Oliver Kahn was the hero for Bayern, stopping the final two Burghausen penalties after each side had converted three of their first five spot kicks.

Bayern Munich's Daniel van Buyten, Hamit Altintop and Miroslav Klose (L-R) celebrate their victory against third division soccer club SV Wacker Burghausen after their German soccer cup DFB-Pokal first round match in Burghausen, August 6, 2007. Bayern Munich won the match 4-3 after penalty and will advance to the second round. [Reuters]

"It's a great feeling to stop two penalties," Kahn said.

Wacker Burghausen coach Ingo Anderbruegge's team were on the verge of eliminating Bayern before Kahn stopped a Markus Palionis shot and then blocked a Thomas Mayer penalty.

"We were one shot away from a sensation," Anderbruegge said.

Burghausen stunned the 13-times Cup winners by scoring first against the run of play in the 61st minute. Thomas Neubert headed in a free-kick from David Solga corner to put Wacker ahead.

Desperate to avoid an embarrassing start to the new season, Bayern threw everything into attack and Germany striker Miroslav Klose scored the equaliser in the 79th minute, outjumping two defenders to head a Franck Ribery corner in at the far post.

Bayern, who won the pre-season League Cup last week and have set out to win three more trophies to make up for the humilation of finishing fourth in the Bundesliga, had chances galore against the team from the town near the Austrian border.

Bayern, who spent 70 million euros ($96.80 million) on new talent in the close season, played well especially with indefatigable France midfielder Ribery proving a constant threat.

But 18-year-old Burghausen keeper Manuel Riemann had an outstanding performance, stopping promising shots from Klose, Ribery, Hamit Altintop, Mark van Bommel and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

"I thought we played a good match," Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told reporters. "We had lots of chances. A few times we were unlucky, at times their goalkeeper was excellent. They played over their heads. It was a typically exciting Cup match."