Ten-Man Bayern Munich Blank FC Augsburg (Again) In D.F.B. Pokal

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A second all-Bavarian derby within ten days time produced a much more balanced affair but exactly same result as visiting BAYERN MUNICH, the record German Cup winner who were reduced to ten men two minutes into the second half, held off pesky FC AUGSBURG 2-0 in the third round of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal.

FC Augsburg trainer MARKUS WEINZIERL not only altered his formation for the return match but, in fact, made five changes to the team which had lost at home to Bayern Munich in the 16th round of the Bundesliga less than two weeks earlier, as well. ANDREAS OTTL, the 27-year-old summer signing from SC Hertha Berlin who has made exactly 100 Bundesliga appearances and scored five goals for Bayern Munich in his career, was deployed as a defensive midfielder just in front of the back line. With both the first and second choice goalkeepers unavailable for the D.F.B. Pokal-Derby with their fellow Bavarian adversaries, the very well-traveled Austria international ALEXANDER MANNINGER was called upon to stand between the sticks for FC Augsburg.

Manninger, the 35-year-old who earned a Premier League winner’s medal with FC Arsenal of London at the conclusion of the 1997/98 campaign and has also collected 33 international caps for Oesterreich in his career, arrived at FC Augsburg this past summer after four years with crack Italian Serie A club FC Juventus of Turin.

It was Bayern Munich shot-stopper MANUEL NEUER, the 26-year-old first choice for Deutschland who has collected 36 international caps thus far in his career, who was called upon to make a sharp save (with the aid of the goal post) just eight minutes into the match, however, after a low drive from South Korea international JA-CHEOL KOO was deflected by Bayern Munich’s Brazilian centerback DANTE.

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France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY of Bayern Munich is the picture of frustration after receiving the straight red card from match referee THORSTEN KINHOEFER in the 47th minute of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal match with host FC Augsburg watched by the sold-out crowd of 30,660 spectators at the SGL Arena in Bavaria.
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Bayern Munich took the lead shortly before the half hour mark when France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY made a trademark run down the left flank and pulled the ball back for Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ in the 26th minute. Super Mario, who has missed most of this 2012/13 season so far on account of ankle surgery, was able to fend of FC Augsburg defender PHILIP and steer the ball past Manninger for his first strike in the D.F.B. Pokal this term. Overall, Gomez has netted four goals in eight games since returning to action for Bayern Munich in late November.

Bayern Munich should have doubled its lead with about a minute remaining until the halftime break when a 30-yard blast from Ukraine national team captain ANATOLI TYMOSHCHUK, the 33-year-old defensive midfielder who has made 120 appearances and scored six goals for Bayern Munich in all competitions since signing from Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg in the summer of 2009, smacked off the crossbar and bounced down over the goal line but the match officials, to be quite frank, outright blew the call.

Misfortune for the Bavarian side trained by JUPP HEYNCKES continued just after the re-start when Ribery was provoked by Choo and foolishly retaliated. A straight red card left Bayern Munich with just ten men and gave FC Augsburg a surge of confidence with which to press their attack. But Neuer, who had made a fine save in a one-on-one situation with striker SASCHA MOELDERS in the first half, again did well to halt the FC Augsburg’s leading Bundesliga goal-scorer in the second half while the Bayern Munich backline did its part, as well.

Switzerland international XHERDAN SHAQIRI, the versatile midfielder bought from reigning Swiss champion FC Basel this past summer, sealed the deal for counterattacking Bayern Munich just five minutes from full time. Germany international winger THOMAS MUELLER, who leads Bayern Munich with ten assists in the Bundesliga this season, prompted the insurance marker with a lovely square ball for the little Swiss tank. Shaqiri, meanwhile, prepared to celebrate Christmas having scored three goals on his last four appearances for his new German employers.

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Bayern Munich’s Germany first choice goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER (1) successfully confronts FC Augsburg’s journeyman striker SASCHA MOELDERS (11), the 27-year-old former MSV Duisburg, Rot-Weiss Essen and FSV Frankfurt attacker who leads the second-from-bottom club with four goals in the Bundesliga this season, during the all-Bavarian Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal match at the sold-out SGL Arena.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba – Tymoshchuk (Martinez 58′), Schweinsteiger – Shaqiri, Kroos (Mueller 73′), Ribery – Gomez (Mandzukic 58′)

FC AUGSBURG : Manninger – Philip, Callsen-Bracker (Bance 79′), Ostrzolek – Ottl (Musona 84′), Baier – Oehrl, Koo, Werner – Moelders

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Bayern Munich Clobbers 1.FC Kaiserslautern In D.F.B. Pokal

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Switwerland international winger XHERDAN SHAQIRI of Bayern Munich looks to settle the ball before Greece international midfielder KOSTAS FORTOUNIS (28) of 1.FC Kaiserslautern can arrive and offer meaningful challenge during the second round Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal match at the sold-out Allianz Arena in southern Germany.
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The second division guests hung in there throughout the first half despite having surrenedered an early goal, but another pair of strikes for the home side within a quarter hour after the restart effectively settled the tie as record German Cup winner BAYERN MUNICH blanked visiting 1.FC KAISERSLAUTERN 4-0 in the second round of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal.

On the heels of a disappointing loss to Bayer Leverkusen just a few days earlier, trainer JUPP HEYNCKES fielded largely a reserve side for the Bavarians to face the incoming 2.Bundesliga club from Rhineland-Palatinate. Among other things, this meant a first start between the sticks this season for Bayern Munich’s second-string goalkeeper TOM STARKE. Another new-look, as well, featured versatile Spain international JAVIER MARTINEZ, who shattered the existing Bundesliga record earlier this season with his transfer from Spanish La Liga club Athletic Bilbao costing 40.0 million Euros, appearing in the center of defense.

1.FC Kaiserslautern, who have won two Bundesliga titles in the club’s history but still finished dead-last in the 18-team German top flight last term and were relegated as a result. Trainer FRANCO FODA’s side arrived in Bavaria for the D.F.B. Pokal match with Bayern Munich currently standing third in the 2.Bundesliga, ahead of Energie Cottbus on goal differential. 1.Kaiserslautern, to its dismay, would have to make due without its captain ALBERT BUNJAKU, the 28-year-old Switzerland international who was signed from 1.FC Nuremberg this summer and is, at present, second on the club with six goals scored in the second division this season.

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Goalkeeper TOM STARKE, the 31-year-old veteran who has been first chice in the Bundesliga for MSV Duisburg as well as TSG 1899 Hoffenheim previously in his career before signing with the Bavarians this summer on a free transfer, made his first competitive appearance for Bayern Munich in the D.F.B. Pokal match with visiting second division side 1.FC Kaiserslautern at the sold-out Allianz Arena.
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Bayern Munich began well enough when experienced reserve defensive midfielder ANATOLI TYMOSHCHUK, the 33-year-old who has made 123 international appearances (with four goals scored) and is the current national team captain of Ukraine, sent a spot-on ball down the right wing for Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN. A quick pass from the Dangerous Dutchman released veteran Peru international striker CLADUIO PIZARRO and a smooth finish from the 34-year-old veteran vaulted the Bavarians to a 1-0 lead. A second goal on this 2012/13 campaign for the aging Pizarro, who netted Bayern Munich’s final goal in the 4-0 triumph over SSV Jahn Regensburg in the first round at the beginning of this term, as well.

A spirited 1.FC Kaiserslautern, to its credit, had a few opportunities to bring themselves level in the first half but were left with nothing to show for their labors. Cameroon international MOHAMMADOU IDRISSOU, the 32-year-old former Borussia Moenchengladbach striker who was signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer after scoring 14 goals in the 2.Bundesliga last term, had two particularlly good chances and, with the second, was only denied by an outstanding finger-tip save by Starke at full stretch. One-time Germany youth international STEVEN ZELLNER almost caught Starke napping but his low shot from outside the box hit the outside of the post and rebounded harmlessly.

Austria international DAVID ALABA, the versatile 20-year-old who is just returning from a lenghty injury spell and is still searching for his first goal of this 2012/13 football season, had two noteworthy efforts to get his name on the scoresheet. A free kick was turned away at the far post by 1.FC Kaisserslautern goalkeeper TOBIAS SIPPEL while a blast in the box from eight yards or so was also dealt with well enough by the visiting netminder, then. Seldom-used Brazil international fullback RAFINHA, who bagged a goal in the recent, record-setting 5-0 blow-out of Fortuna Duesseldorf, also went close for Bayern Munich in the opening forty-five minutes.

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The majority of Bayern Munich’s normal first team, including Germany first choice MANUEL NEUER (second from right), watch the second round Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal match with visiting 2.Bundesliga side FC Kaiserslautern from the players’ bench at the sold-out Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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The Bavarians came out firing on all cylinders after the halftime team talk and required less than four minutes to double its advantage. After a very poor defensive clearance (after another ball played by Tymoshchuk) on Kaiserslautern’s left which wound up in the center just outside the box, the highly-experienced Pizarro intelligently directed his header right into the path of an eager and on-rushing Robben. The grateful Dangerous Dutchman had no trouble smashing a left-footer past the helpless Sippel to score his very first goal proper for Bayern Munich in any competition this season.

(Robben had found the back of the net for the Bavarians during the 3-0 defeat of SpVgg Greuther Fuerth on the opening round of play in the Bundesliga this term, but not without the benefit of an inadvertant deflection from defender Thomas Kleine and the strike was subsequently ruled an own goal)

Just two minutes before the hour, the inspirational Pizarro rose in the area to head his second goal of the game on a set piece expertly delivered from the left wing by Switzerland international XHERDAN SHAQIRI, the 21-year-old, talented all-arounder who completed his 9.0 million Euro transfer from Super Liga champion FC Basel this past summer. The assist was a third in two D.F.B. Pokal matches this term for Shaqiri, whose only goal in his first 14 appearances in the colors of Bayern Munich came in the first round against SSV Jahn Regensburg. The little Swiss tank now boasts six helpers in all competitions this season for his new German employers.

Robben joined Pizarro in carrying double luggage for Bayern Munich after the two international stars combined in the closing stages. An alert ball from the Austrian Alaba sent the Auslaender (foreigner) with the most appearances and goals in the 50-year-history of the German Bundesliga away down the left and then Pizarro, unselfishly, was able to square for the Dangerous Dutchman. Robben swept home to record his eighth career D.F.B. Pokal goal in 10 career German Cup matches for the Bavarians and raise his overall total to 57 goals from 98 appearances in all competitions for Bayern Munich since signing from Spanish La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid in the late August of 2009.

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Wearing the captain’s armband for Bayern Munich on this occasion, experienced Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN splits the 1.FC Kaiserslautern defensive pair of Denmark international defender LEON JESSEN (3) and youngster DOMINIQUE HEINTZ (33) with a perfect pass into the penalty box and sets up the first goal of the match for the not-pictured Peru international Claudio Pizarro during the second round Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal match at the Allianz Arena.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Starke – Rafinha (Weiser 79′), Martinez, Boateng, Contento – Tymoshchuk, Can – Robben, Alaba, Shaqiri – Pizarro

1.FC KAISERSLAUTERN : Sippel – Dick, Torrejon, Heintz, Jessen – Hajri – Zellner, Fortounis (Azaouagh 66′), Baumjohann (Nsor 81′), Bugera (Linsmayer 56′) – Idrissou

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D.F.B. Pokal, 1st Round – Bayern Munich Roll Over SVV Jahn Regensburg

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France international winger FRANCK RIBERY, who totaled 18 goals and 22 assists in all competitions for unlucky Bayern Munich last season, looks run away from his SSV Jahn Regensburg marker during the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal derby match at the modest (and easily sold-out) Jahnstadion of Regensburg in central Bavaria.
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The newly-promoted second division club courageously hung tough for the first half hour or so but the sheer might of the traditional giant — record German champions in both the Bundesliga and D.F.B. Pokal competitions — gradually broke down all resistance as BAYERN MUNICH defeated intra-state opposition SSV JAHN REGENSBURG 4-0 in the all-Bavaria derby match which closes out the first round of the domestic cup.

After taking a pass from Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS, the tricky France international winger FRANCK RIBERY turned his SSV Jahn Regensburg marker inside out and ran for the goal line before setting up the tap in by Bayern Munich’s new (if only for now) central striker MARIO MANDZUKIC in the 32nd minute.

The real fireworks began with the arrival of Switzerland international XHERDAN SHAQIRI, who replaced Ribery on the left wing for the visitors after the break. A marvelously struck free kick from the exciting youngster on the hour showed exactly why Bayern Munich agreed to pay Swiss side FC Basel a transfer fee of 9.0 million Euros for the services of the versatile 20-year-old before the 2011/12 football season had even been completed. Shaqiri was not quite through, however, and manufactured two more goals for his new employers with magnificent passes.

A seam-splitting ball right down the middle allowed Mandzukic to round SSV Jahn Regensburg goalkeeper MICHAEL HOFMANN, the long-time TSV 1860 Munich shot-stopper, and slot home his second goal of the match from a very tight angle with ten minutes to play. And a delightful chip afforded Peru international striker CLAUDIO PIZARRO, the aging veteran on his second tour of duty now with Bayern Munich after transferring from Werder Bremen this summer, the opportunity to blast a thumping volley two minutes from time. Shaqiri’s introduction had been just a little bit more than the team playing in the German third division only a year ago were actually prepared to handle, then.

A pair of strikes from the new signing Mandzukic, the Croatia international who scored 12 goals in 32 Bundesliga games for Vfl Wolfsburg last season and cost Bayern Munich 13.0 million Euros to buy this summer, certainly confirmed that the record German champions have strengthened the attack this term; Mandzukic’s recent productivity and a goal from the experienced substitute Piarro also must ease any concerns raised by the injury to Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ.

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France international winger FRANCK RIBERY (7) of Bayern Munich squares the ball for Croatia international striker MARIO MANDZUKIC (left), who will soon finish for what will be the first strike of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal derby match with newly-promoted 2.Bundesliga side SSV Jahn Regensburg at the little Jahnstadion of Regensburg in central Bavaria.
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SSV JAHN REGENSBURG : Hofmann – Ziereis, Laurito, Nachreiner, Rahn – Kotzke, Neunaber (Hein 46′) – Djuricin, Amachaibou (J.P. Mueller 46′), Haag (Smarzoch 85′) – Sembolo

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Can – Luiz Gustavo, Kroos – Robben (Schweinsteiger 75′), T. Mueller, Ribery (Shaqiri 46′) – Mandzukic (Pizarro 81′)

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Bavarian Derbyspiel In D.F.B. Pokal

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Germany international first choice MANUEL NEUER, who intentionally sat out the recent friendly with Argentina in Frankfurt, and the rest of the BAYERN MUNICH traveling party will need to be on upset alert or suffer the same fate that six other unfortunate (if not unprepared) Bundesliga clubs already have at the hands of upstart teams from the lower divisions in the first round of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal.
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Having already gotten off to a positive start to the 2012/13 season by defeating rival Borussia Dortmund to win the German Super Cup, traditional Bavarian juggernaut BAYERN MUNICH will begin the program of regularly-scheduled competitions in earnest with a first round Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal derby tie against intra-state opponent SSV JAHN REGENSBURG.

The Sportdirektor (general manager) for the Regensburg club is none other than FRANZ GERBER, the one-time Bayern Munich striker who made a solitary appearance as a 18-year-old with the 1971/72 Bundesliga champions before embarking on a long professional career which included time in the West German first division with SV Wuppertal, FC St. Pauli, TSV 1860 Munich and Hannover 96 as well as a tour in the old North American Soccer League with the since-departed Calgary Boomers, Tulsa Roughnecks and Tampa Bay Rowdies.

TOBIAS SCHWEINSTEIGER, the older brother of Germany international and Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian, actually topped SSV Jahn Regensburg by scoring 14 goals in the 3.Bundesliga last season. By finishing third in the league standings, SSV Jahn Regensburg earned the right to face 2.Bundesliga side SC Karlsruhe in a promotion / relegation tussle that saw the underdogs triumph on the strength of the away goals rule. The elder Schweinsteiger, meanwhile, has moved on and already made eight appearances (two goals scored) this summer for Bayern Munich II, the reserve side that competes in the Regionalliga Sued (fourth division).

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JAHNSTADION, REGENSBURG
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SSV Jahn Regensburg considered relocating the first round Cup tie to the Frankenstadion (48,548 capacity) in Nuremberg for obvious financial purposes. But it was decided that the historic D.F.B. derby match with mighty Bayern Munich should, first and foremost, be shared with the club’s loyal supporters that normally visit the little Jahnstadion. And so, a sell-out crowd of 12,500 in Regensburg on Monday night is absolutely assured.

One new recruit for SSV Jahn Regensburg this season is experienced defender CHRISTIAN RAHN, the 33-year-old former SV Hamburg midfielder who was capped five times by the senior national team of Germany between 2002 and 2004. Rahn, who started his professional career with FC St.Pauli but has spent the last four seasons not playing so much while with SpVgg Greuther Fuerth, netted the very first goal for the newly-promoted Bavarian club this term when trainer OSCAR CORROCHANO’s side downed visiting 2-0 MSV Duisburg in front of an audience of 7,818 fans at the Jahnstadion a week or so ago. SVV Jahn Regensburg, of course, dropped its first match in the 2.Bundesliga since the 2003/04 season by the minimum scoreline to TSV 1860 Munich in that Bavarian derby contested at the Allianz Arena earlier this August.

One interesting player to watch for SSV Jahn Regensburg in the upcoming Bavarian derby with traditional giant Bayern Munich will be Republic of Congo international FRANCKY SEMBOLO, the 27-year-old striker who signed in Bavaria this summer after bagging 17 goals in 27 Regionalliga Nord matches for SV Wilhelmshaven last term. One extremely pivotal man for the home side figures to be 39-year-old goalkeeper MICHAEL HOFMANN, a veteran professional who has been first choice between the sticks for SSV Jahn Regensburg since arriving from TSV 1860 Munich at the start of the 2010/11 campaign. The aging Hofmann does have 82 games of Bundesliga experience under his belt and had made more than 30 appearances in a single top flight season on behalf of TSV 1860 Munich twice before in his career (1998/99 and 2003/04 seasons).

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Republic of Congo international striker FRANCKY SEMBOLO (12), who appeared for his nation in qualifying matches for both the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup, celebrates his 60th minute strike for SSV Jahn Regensburg against visting MSV Duisburg along with youthful midfielder JONATAN KOTZKE (8) during the 2.Bundesliga match at the little Jahnstadion in Regensburg, Bavaria.

D.F.B. Pokalfinale – Borussia Dortmund Lowers The Boom

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Germany international defender JEROME BOATENG of Bayern Munich (left) and Borussia Dortmund’s prolific Poland international striker ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI, the 23-year-old Torjaeger who ended his 2011/12 campaign with 30 goals in all competitions for die Schwarzgelben, battle for the ball during the 70th Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokalfinale contested at the Olympiastadion in the capital city of Berlin.
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Two goals conceded just before the halftime whistle fueled two-time defending Bundesliga champion BORUSSIA DORTMUND on its way to a convincing 5-2 defeat of record Pokalsieger BAYERN MUNICH in the 2012 edition of the German Cup Final.

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70th DEUTSCHER FUSSBALL BUND POKALFINALE
Olympiastadion, Berlin

goals — Kagawa 3′, Robben pen 25′, Hummels pen 41′, Lewandowski 45+1′, Lewandowski 58′, Ribery 76′, Lewandowski 81′

BORUSSIA DORTMUND : Weidenfeller (Langerak 34′) – Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer – Guendogan, Kehl – Blaszczykowski (Perisic 84′), Kagawa (Bender 81′), Grosskreutz – Lewandowski

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba (Contento 69′) – Schweinsteiger, Luiz Gustavo (Mueller 46′) – Robben, Kroos, Ribery – Gomez

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Glueckwuensche Fuer Borussia Dortmund

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Ja, bin ich spaet mit meinem Pokalfinale-Spielbericht. Es gibt hier kein Geheiminis — ich stehe mich immer mit FC Bayern Muenchen. Natuerlich bin ich mit dem Ergebnis von dem Olympiastadion in Berlin sehr enttaeuscht.

Vielleicht bin ich noch unter Schock stehen. Habe ich zuerst gedacht, dass die Bayern-Mannschaft wird nach Elfmeter von Arjen Robben “okay” sein. Und dann der starke Torhueter Roman Weidenfeller von Borussia Dortmund ging zu der Bank.

Aber zwei Blitztore von Borussia Dortmund kurz vor Halbzeit angekommen ist. Es war fuer Bayern Muenchen zweifellos schwierig, dass zu folgen. Bin ich noch ein bischen traurig.

Doch, muss immer ein bischen Sportlichkeit / Fairplay haben. Deshalb, gibt es hier ein paar Fotos zu betrachten. Herzliche Glueckwuensche zum Doppelsieg, Borussia Dortmund!

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Defending Champs Chase First Domestic Double

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21-year-old midfielder ILKAY GUENDOGAN (right) of 2012 Bundesliga titlist Borussia Dortmund celebrates his decisive goal in the 120th minute of the dramatic Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal semifinal match with this year’s 2.Bundesliga champion SpVgg Greuther Fuerth at the little Trolli Arena in the southern German state of Bavaria this past March.
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Having won the Bundesliga title for the second consecutive season, trainer Juergen Klopp’s BORUSSIA DORTMUND side travel to the German capital city seeking to celebrate the 103-year-old club’s first-ever domestic double. To do that, however, die Schwarzgelben with have to successfully deal with contemporary rival BAYERN MUNICH in a re-match of the 2008 German Cup Final. The Bavarians, of course, triumphed after extra time on that occasion but the fact is only three players from each side are still with their respective clubs and preparing to meet once again at the Olympiastadion in Berlin this Saturday for the 70th Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokalfinale.

It also should be noted that Borussia Dortmund, who have captured the D.F.B. Pokal title twice in club history (1965 and 1989), have been particularly dominant over Bayern Munich in the past two years — die Schwarzgelben have won the last four Bundesliga contests between the two clubs while outscoring the Bavarians by a convincing 7-1 margin.

One thing is for sure, if Bayern Munich are to win the D.F.B. Pokal competition for the 16th time in 18 trips to the final match then the Bavarians will need to do something that none of Borussia Dortmund’s five previous opponents in the German Cup this season have been able to accomplish — simply score a goal, that is.

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Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER stops the fifth and final shot of Fortuna Duesseldorf in the penalty kick shootout at the Esprit Arena along the famous Rhine River this past December; the 31-year-old veteran, it might be recalled, also saved an important Elfmeter for die Schwarzgelben off the foot of Holland World Cup winger Arjen Robben in the last Bundesliga meeting with Bayern Munich just this last month.
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Borussia Dortmund did require penalty kicks and a big save from reliable goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER in the shootout to dismiss second division Fortuna Duesseldorf in the Round of Sixteen. And the now eight-times national champion also needed the assistance of a late strike from youthful midfielder ILKAY GUENDOGAN, who earned his first senior international cap for Germany earlier this season against Belgium, in the very last minute of extra time to elminate stubborn SpVgg Greuther Fuerth at the semifinal stage. Nevertheless, stingy Borussia Dortmund did not concede a goal in any of its five D.F.B. engagements this term.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND – 2011/12 D.F.B. Pokal
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3-0 ……………….. SV 1916 Sandhausen
2-0 ……………….. Dynamo Dresden
0-0 … (pen) …… Fortuna Duesseldorf
4-0 ……………….. Holstein Kiel
1-0 … (aet) …….. SpVgg Greuther Fuerth

goals — Lewandowski 4, Kagawa 2, Goetze 1, Barrios 1, Perisic 1, Guendogan 1

assists — Perisic 3, Kagawa 1, Guendogan 1, Goetze 1, Bender 1, Piszczek 1, Grosskreutz 1

appearances/starts — Hummels 5/5, Kehl 5/5, Lewandowski 5/5, Piszczek 5/5, Grosskreutz 5/4, Blaszczykowski 5/2, Perisic 5/1, Kagawa 4/4, Subotic 4/4, Guendogan 4/3, Barrios 4/1, Schmelzer 3/3, Weidenfeller 3/3, Goetze 2/2, Langerak 2/2, Bender 2/1, Leitner 2/1, Loewe 2/1, Owomoyela 1/1, Kringe 1/0

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Poland international ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (left), the 23-year-old striker who leads Borussia Dortmund with 27 goals in all competitions this season, and Japan international SHINJI KAGAWA, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder who is second with 16 goals in all matches for die Schwarzgelben this term, each scored a goal for Borussia Dortmund in the D.F.B. Pokal quarterfinal match with Regionalliga Nord (fourth division) side Holstein Kiel before 11,400 Zuschauer at the tiny Holsteinstadion in the north German state of Schleswig-Holstein this past February.

Bayern Munich In D.F.B. Final

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Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN sets Bayern Munich on the path to a big 4-0 victory in the Final of the 2010 Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal by slotting a penalty kick past Germany international goalkeeper TIM WIESE (1) of Werder Bremen in the 35th minute at the history-filled Olympiastadion in the capital city of Berlin.
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On top of the record number of championships claimed in the domestic elite league, no other club in Germany even comes close to the fifteen titles that BAYERN MUNICH has also won in the Detuscher Fussball Bund Pokal competition over the years. Perhaps more even impressive, though, is the fact that the Bavarian club have only lost just twice in 17 trips to the German Cup Final while outscoring the opposition by a combined 42-16 margin. The following is the history of that footballing excellence :

BAYERN MUNICH in German Cup Final
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1957 …… 1-0 …………….. Fortuna Duesseldorf
1966 …… 4-2 …………….. SV Meidericher
1967 …… 4-0 …………….. SV Hamburg
1969 …… 2-1 ……………… Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
1971 …… 2-1 (aet) ……… 1.FC Koeln
1982 …… 4-2 …………….. 1.FC Nuremberg
1984 …… 1-1 (pen) …….. Borussia Moenchengladbach
1985 …… 1-2 ……………… Bayer Uerdingen
1986 …… 5-2 …………….. Vfb Stuttgart
1998 …… 2-1 …………….. MSV Duisburg
1999 …… 1-1 (pen) …….. Werder Bremen
2000 ….. 3-0 …………….. Werder Bremen
2003 …… 3-1 …………….. 1.FC Kaiserslautern
2005 …… 2-1 …………….. Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
2006 …… 1-0 …………….. Eintracht Frankfurt
2008 …… 2-1 (aet) ……… Borussia Dortmund
2010 …… 4-0 …………….. Werder Bremen

Notes —— Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach in 1984 but lost to Werder Bremen in 1999 on penalties

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BAYERN MUNICH – Cup Final goals
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Gerd MUELLER 4 …….. Dieter BRENNINGER 3, Roland WOHLFARTH 3 …….. R. OHLHAUSER 2, Dieter HOENESS 2, Michael RUMMENIGGE 2, Michael BALLACK 2, Claudio PIZARRO 2, Luca TONI 2 …….. Rudi JOBST 1, Franz BECKENBAUER 1, Edgar SCHNEIDER 1, Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE 1, Wolfgang KRAUS 1, Paul BREITNER 1, Wolfgang DREMMLER 1, Markus BABBEL 1, Mario BASLER 1, Carsten JANCKER 1, Giovane ELBER 1, PAULO SERGIO 1, Mehmet SCHOLL 1, Roy MAKAAY 1, H. SALIHAMDZIC 1, Arjen ROBBEN 1, Ivica OLIC 1, Franck RIBERY 1, Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 1

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HANS-JOERG BUTT, the 36-year-old veteran Germany international who is currently serving as cover to contemporary national team first choice Manuel Neuer at Bayern Munich, is one of four goalkeepers to register a clean sheet for the Bavarian club in the Final of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal.

Berlin-Bound Bayern Defeat Borussia On Penalties In DFB Pokal Semifinal

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Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN of Bayern Munich shields the ball from Borussia Moenchengladbach veteran midfielder JUAN ARANGO (18), the 31-year-old who has compiled 103 caps and 19 goals for the national team of Venezuela in his career, during the closely-contested D.F.B. Pokal semifinal match in front of a sold-out crowd at Borussia Park in the central-western German state of North-Rhine Westphalia.
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An epic struggle between two of the Bundesliga’s best defensive sides this season produced, perhaps not so surprisingly, a scoreless draw followed by a dramatic penalty kick shootout during which a world-class goalkeeper showed why exactly his club had shelled out a such a considerable pile of money for his services this past summer as record German Cup-winner BAYERN MUNICH defeated BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH in the semifinal of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal.

Bayern Munich, who have lifted the D.F.B. Pokal no less than 15 times in club history since winning a first back in 1957, arrived at Borussia Park having scored a whopping 20 goals on their last three outings in all competitions. Host Borussia Moenchengladbach, on the other hand, are tied for the best record in the Bundesliga having conceded just 16 goals in 26 top flight matches this term. The one fact staring die Fohlen in the face prior to kickoff was their all-time record opposite the visiting Bavarians in the D.F.P. Pokal — five losses and one draw.

Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS of Bayern Munich cranked a low, curling drive from just outside the box off the base of the right post in the sixth minute to rattle some nerves in North Rhine-Westphalia. But youthful Borussia Moenchengladbach goalkeeper MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN stayed cool and kept out a header from Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ with a sensational flying save shortly thereafter. At the other end, the Bavarians needed Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER to deal with threats from national team constituent MARCO REUS, who easily leads Borussia Moenchengladbach with 14 Bundesliga goals this season, and Belgium international defender FILIP DAEMS in the first half.

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Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ (33) of Bayern Munich, who leads the Bundesliga with 22 goals this season and has netted thirty-five times in all competitions for the Bavarians this term, attempts to round Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 19-year-old goalkeeper MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN during the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal semifinal match at Borussia Park.
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Bona-fide chances became fewer and fewer as the match wore along. Ter Stegen continued his good form and halted efforts from Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN, who had scored seven goals in his last four matches for Bayern Munich heading into the D.F.B. Pokal semifinal with Borussia Moenchengladbach, and Gomez at point-blank range. Neuer, meanwhile, pulled off the Save of the Game by stopping Reus in a one-on-one situation with just over six minutes remaining.

Extra-time failed to produce a result and so, as was the case in the Finale of the 1984 Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal, the two teams required penalties to settle the this semifinal Cup tie.

All of the shooters for Bayern Munich — 19-year-old Austria international DAVID ALABA, France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY, Germany World Cup defender and club captain PHILIPP LAHM as well as Kroos — had little trouble bulging the back of the net. Brazilian defender DANTE, who has been the subject of rumors revolving around a possible move to Bavaria in the summer, put Borussia Moenchengladbach behind the eight-ball by failing to his the target. Once Neuer blocked Norway international midfielder HAVARD NORDVEIT with his legs, Bayern Munich had booked its ticket to Berlin.

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Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER of Bayern Munich, the major acquisition costing 18.0 million Euros from current Cup holders Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen this past summer, snatches the loose ball to complete a spectacular save and stop Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Germany international MARCO REUS (11) from scoring a late match-winner in the 84th minute of the dramatic Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal semifinal match at sold-out Borussia Park in North Rhine-Westphalia.
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BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH : ter Stegen – Jantschke, Stranzl (Brouwers 62′), Dante, Daems – Neustaedter, Nordveit – Wendt (Hermann 62′), Arango – Reus, Hanke (De Camargo 75′)

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba – Luiz Gustavo, Kroos – Robben, Mueller (Petersen 106′), Ribery – Gomez (Olic 100′)

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Bayern Sweep Aside Stuttgart, Reach D.F.B. Semifinal

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France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY, who has scored eight goals in the Bundesliga and added another pair in the UEFA Champions League for Bayern Munich this season, shields the ball from Bosnia / Herzegovina international striker VEDAD IBISEVIC, the mid-term purchase of Vfb Stuttgart who cost 5.5 million Euros from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim just last month, during the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal quarterfinal match at the sold-out Mercedes Benz Arena in the southwestern German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
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A well-worked goal a half an hour in and a lightning-fast second strike immediately after the break enabled visiting BAYERN MUNICH to brush aside the indifferent form displayed as of late and sweep aside Swabian rival VFB STUTTGART 2-0 for a deserved place in the semifinal round of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal.

The joy generated by the Bavarians’ victory was mitigated somewhat, however, by the news that standout Germany World Cup defensive midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, who had only just recently returned to action after having broken his collarbone and lost nearly three months earlier this term, suffered a torn ligament in his ankle and will be, once again, sidelined indefinitely.

Germany World Cup midfielder TONI KROOS, in the role of attacking central midfielder, was quite unlucky to have a quality rocket from long range crash off the crossbar in the 20th minute but the good fortune of Vfb Stuttgart’s one-time Germany U-21 international goalkeeper SVEN ULREICH would not last for long; just ten minutes later, Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER and Brazil international defender RAFINHA combined on the right and immeditately thereafter France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY had little trouble thumping Mueller’s inviting, low cross into the back of the net and recording his 11th goal of the season in all competitions.

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Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER (left), who has scored just four goals but has provided 10 assists and also won a significant number of penalties for Bayern Munich in all competitions this season, settles the ball in front of Vfb Stuttugart defender CRISTIAN MOLINARO, the 28-year-old, former FC Juventus Turin rearguard who has earned two caps for Italy in his career, during the D.F.B. Pokal quarterfinal match at the Mercedes Benz Arena.
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Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ, who leads the Bundesliga once again this term with 17 goals, effectively clinched the result with a second goal for Bayern Munich only 35 seconds after the restart. Super Mario, who set a new domestic record with a 30.0 million Euro transfer from Vfb Stuttgart to the record German champions in the summer of 2009, initiated the move, himself, with a ball down the right flank for the in-form Mueller. Gomez met and volleyed Mueller’s curling cross from the penalty spot and was, at first, denied by a decent save from Ulreich but had a second chance when the rebound came straight back.

A 25th goal of the season for Gomez, then, who failed to score in his first match for Bayern Munich against his old Swabian club on the final day of October in 2009 but has racked up eight goals for the Bavarians on his last five appearances opposite Vfb Stuttgart since; the Swabians, for their part, never really did do much to trouble Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER, who recorded his 17th shutout in all competitions this season for Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich must wait until Saturday to learn the identity of whom the record German Cup winner (15 titles) will face in the semifinal round of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal. The current Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Moenchengladbach and 2.Bundesliga side SpVgg Greuther Fuerth would be the other three sides still left in the competition, which was first staged during the 1934/35 football season. Bayern Munich, to review, last won the D.F.B. Pokal after having defeated Werder Bremen 4-0 on May 15, 2010.

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Germany World Cup midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER reacts in pain during the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal quarterfinal match with Vfb Stuttgart at the sold-out Mercedes Benz Arena in Baden-Wuerttemberg; Bayern Munich chief medical officer Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfarth later stated after an MRC scan and examination that Schweinsteiger has been fitted with a plaster cast but did not speculate when the 27-year-old midfielder with 90 caps and 23 goals for Deutschland might return to the Bavarian Startelf.
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VFB STUTTGART : Ulreich – Boulahrouz, Tasci, Niedermeier, Molinaro – Kvist, Gentner (Holzhauser 83′) – Okazaki (Harnik 57′), Schieber (Hajnal 70′) – Ibisevic, Cacau

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Rafinha, Boateng, Badstuber, Lahm – Luiz Gustavo, Schweinsteiger (Alaba 17′) – Mueller, Kroos (Tymoshchuk 89′), Ribery (Olic 83′) – Gomez

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