AP, Berlin :
Arjen Robben and Thomas Mueller struck in extra time for Bayern Munich to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the German Cup final on Saturday, giving their side the double in Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge.
Robben scored in the 107th minute when Jerome Boateng intercepted Roman Weidenfeller’s throw out, and then crossed for the Dutchman at the far post.
It set up a frenetic finale with Dortmund pushing for the equalizer that would have taken the game to penalties.
Marco Reus came agonizingly close to equalizing in the final minute when his shot was deflected just over.
Mueller then rounded Weidenfeller to wrap up the win in extra time injury time.
Dortmund might have been awarded a goal in the second half. Mats Hummels thought he’d scored with a header but Dante cleared on or behind the line. The score wasn’t awarded though there were suggestions it crossed the line.
Bayern avenged its humiliating 5-2 loss to Dortmund in the 2012 final with its record 16th German Cup final win.
Bayern, which claimed the Bundesliga title with a record seven games to spare, was playing without several injured players. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thiago Alcantara were out with knee injuries, and David Alaba dropped out due to a stomach muscle problem.
Captain Philipp Lahm also went off injured during the game, which ended scoreless with both sides effectively nullifying the other’s attacking threat.
Robben posed Bayern’s biggest danger going forward but was dealt with adequately by Hummels or thwarted at the last by Weidenfeller, who made crucial saves.
Robert Lewandowski, playing his last game for Dortmund before joining Bayern on July 1, was kept in check by Boateng and Dante, with Javi Martinez also helping out in the Bavarian side’s defense.
Bayern, which beat Stuttgart in last year’s final, created marginally the better chances in the first half, though Lewandowski wasted a good chance before the break when he fired high and wide after eluding the 18-year-old Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who was filling in at right back.
Franck Ribery, who came on for the injured Lahm, crossed from Mueller at the beginning of the second half only for Weidenfeller to save from close range.
Reus struck the crossbar with a deflected free kick, though Manuel Neuer, playing in his fourth consecutive German Cup final, had it covered.
Dortmund was then left to rue Hummels’ “goal” that wasn’t given.
