Bayern finished the 2013/14 campaign as the undisputed best team in Germany after defeating closest rivals Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s DFB Cup final in Berlin, sealing the domestic league and cup double for the tenth time in their history. Arjen Robben, the player whose goal settled the Champions League final at Wembley last year, was the hero of Munich’s 17th DFB Cup success with the 107th-minute winner, Thomas Müller adding the icing on the cake at the end after a tight and intense encounter that went to extra-time following an evenly-matched encounter.
The 76,197 full house at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin saw Munich dominate possession and look the likelier to score before half-time, although the cagey first period was all but devoid of clear-cut chances. The action hotted up after the break with near-misses at both ends, but neither side conjured up a goal in normal time and the game went into an extra 30 minutes. Despite increasing weariness after the long and tough season FCB kept up the fight and were rewarded when Robben broke the deadlock, before Müller sealed a hard-earned victory in time added on at the end.
Four new faces
Boss Pep Guardiola had a team selection surprise up his sleeve for the showdown in the capital, as he chose to replace injured left-back David Alaba (sprained stomach muscle) with 18-year-old Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg, a two-time starter in the league in the second half of the season. Otherwise, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm and Mario Götze came into the side in place of Mario Mandzukic, Bastian Schweinsteiger (knee) and Daniel van Buyten, who started on the bench.
The somewhat unfamiliar final line-up of the season comprised Manuel Neuer in goal, Hojbjerg, Dante, Boateng and Rafinha in defence, Javi Martinez and captain Lahm in twin holding roles, Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos in central midfield, and Robben alongside ex-Dortmund man Götze.
Few chances in first period
Few chances in first period
With the crowd at fever pitch following the warm-up programme, Bayern were soon on the front foot after referee Florian Meyer whistled the final underway on a rainy night in the German capital. The nimble Robben set up Müller and the Dutchman himself fired goalwards in the first six minutes, but BVB keeper Roman Weidenfeller saved both efforts, the first unwittingly with his head and the second in more conventional fashion.
FCB still saw the lion’s share of possession but Jürgen Klopp’s men settled as time went on and the game became a dour midfield struggle at times. There was a blow for the Bavarians and potentially for Germany too when Lahm was forced out of the action with just half an hour played, the captain hobbling off in obvious discomfort following a heavy challenge from BVB defender Sokratis. Franck Ribery entered the fray in place of the skipper with Kroos stepping back to a more defensive role.
Weidenfeller just outpaced Robben as the Dutchman chased down a risky Kevin Großkreutz back-pass, but chances were thin on the ground until FCB upped the tempo with half-time approaching. Robben had a decent shout for a penalty waved aside after a heavy challenge in the box by Lukas Piszczek, before Kroos hit the wall with a free-kick and Hojbjerg fired wide, but the last chance of the half fell at the other end when Lewandowski hooked a half-volley well over Neuer’s bar.
Goalless second period
The cagey stalemate continued in the early exchanges after the restart until Müller flicked a shot against Weidenfeller from Ribery’s cross, sparking a period of greater invention from both sides. Dante hooked a Mats Hummels effort off the line on 64 minutes, although the former FCB youth looked suspiciously offside as he headed towards goal, before Hojbjerg missed his kick from a promising position.
The action swung from end to end, Neuer saving well from BVB sub Oliver Kirch and Weidenfeller throwing out a hand to deny Robben after Götze’s perceptive through ball, but for all the effort invested by both teams in a rousing final ten minutes the game remained deadlocked until the end of the regulation 90 minutes.
Robben the extra-time hero
Dortmund sub Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang whipped a shot just past Neuer’s left-hand upright from a Marco Reus lay-off as the first chance of extra-time fell to Borussia, but Bayern were showing great resilience, exemplified by both Neuer and Kroos shaking off injuries and refusing substitution despite obvious discomfort. But the cramp was too much for young Hojbjerg who gave way to veteran Daniel van Buyten with 102 minutes on the clock. Müller and Großkreutz each had a sight of goal but there were no further chances before the end of the first half of extra-time.
But Robben was always the man who seemed most likely to break the deadlock, testing Weidenfeller with a decent effort before converting Boateng’s excellent 107th-minute cross after the defender brilliantly anticipated a throw from the Dortmund keeper.
The Dutchman was on fire now against a tiring BVB side and cracked a shot off the post as Bayern went for the jugular, and although the winger saw his breakaway effort stopped by Weidenfeller, Boateng heroically deflected a late Reus effort away for a corner as the men from Munich clung on. The final flourish came in stoppage time when sub Claudio Pizarro released Müller for a run at Weidenfeller, the striker skipping round the keeper to settle it once and for all.
Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley
Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich 0-2 (aet H-T: 0-0, F-T: 0-0)
| Borussia Dortmund | Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer - Jojic (Aubameyang 83), Sahin - Mkhitaryan (Kirch 60), Reus, Großkreutz (Hofmann 110) - Lewandowski |
| Substitute | Alomerovic, Durm, Friedrich, Kehl |
| Bayern Munich | Neuer - Hojbjerg (Van Buyten 102), Boateng, Martínez, Dante, Rafinha - Lahm (Ribéry 31, Pizarro 109) - Müller, Kroos - Robben, Götze |
| Substitute | Raeder, Contento, Shaqiri |
| Referee | Florian Meyer (Burgdorf) |
| Viewers | 74,907 (capacity) |
| Goals | 0-1 Robben (107), 0-2 Müller (120+3) |
| Yellow card | - / Kroos, Hojbjerg, Boateng, Van Buyten, Robben |
