Bayern shoot Leverkusen out of German Cup
10 April 2015 1:26 AM GMT
Holders Bayern Munich reached the German Cup semifinals after beating Bayer Leverkusen 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out on Wednesday as their last eight clash finished goalless after extra time. Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was Bayern’s hero at Leverkusen’s BayArena after he saved Swiss striker Josip Drmic’s first spot-kick penalty to give Bayern the advantage.
Thomas Mueller, Robert Lewandowski, Xabi Alonso, Mario Goetze and finally Thiago Alcantara, who is just back from a year’s absence with injury, all then drilled home their spot kicks to put Munich in the last four. Bayern will join Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and third-division Arminia Bielefeld in the semifinals. Both Munich and Leverkusen had a string of chances over the 120 minutes during a nervy cup battle. Only good saves from Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno denied Mueller, Goetze and Lewandowski, who had a second-half goal ruled offside. Leverkusen’s Germany winger Karim Bellarabi was a constant menace to the Bayern defence and presented Julian Brandt with an open goal at the end of the 90 minutes, but the 18-year-old failed to connect. The Germany Under-19 international then fired wide in the 118th minute with just Neuer to beat as Leverkusen were left to rue what might have been.
Earlier, minnows Bielefeld produced a classic German Cup upset by knocking out Bundesliga high-fliers Borussia Moenchengladbach as their quarterfinal was also decided by a penalty shoot-out. Lucien Favre’s Gladbach become the third Bundesliga side after Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin to lose to Arminia on their march to the semifinal.
Thomas Mueller, Robert Lewandowski, Xabi Alonso, Mario Goetze and finally Thiago Alcantara, who is just back from a year’s absence with injury, all then drilled home their spot kicks to put Munich in the last four. Bayern will join Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and third-division Arminia Bielefeld in the semifinals. Both Munich and Leverkusen had a string of chances over the 120 minutes during a nervy cup battle. Only good saves from Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno denied Mueller, Goetze and Lewandowski, who had a second-half goal ruled offside. Leverkusen’s Germany winger Karim Bellarabi was a constant menace to the Bayern defence and presented Julian Brandt with an open goal at the end of the 90 minutes, but the 18-year-old failed to connect. The Germany Under-19 international then fired wide in the 118th minute with just Neuer to beat as Leverkusen were left to rue what might have been.
Earlier, minnows Bielefeld produced a classic German Cup upset by knocking out Bundesliga high-fliers Borussia Moenchengladbach as their quarterfinal was also decided by a penalty shoot-out. Lucien Favre’s Gladbach become the third Bundesliga side after Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin to lose to Arminia on their march to the semifinal.
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