AP, Frankfurt :
Bayern Munich’s bid for a trophy treble ended on Tuesday when the holders lost 2-0 on penalties to 10-man Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup semifinals, after missing four spot-kicks in the shootout.
The match went into extra time after Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and canceled out Robert Lewandowski first-half goal and the two teams were deadlocked 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes.
Just two days after securing the Bundesliga championship, Bayern lost one of the two titles it won last season. Pep Guardiola’s team is also in the Champions League semifinals and faces Barcelona in the first leg next week.
“I am very proud of my team, we played very well,” Guardiola said. “I congratulate Dortmund.”
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer saved Mats Hummels’ shot from the spot to revive his team’s hopes, but took the next shot and crashed it against the crossbar.
Captain Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso took Bayern’s first two penalties but both slipped and sent their shots wide and high. Ilkay Gundogan and Sebastian Kehl converted for Dortmund and goalkeeper Mitch Langerak then saved Mario Goetze’s shot by diving to his right. Langerak, an Australian who is usually a reserve, has never lost in four matches against Bayern. Neuer, who had produced a couple of big saves late in the match, needed to score to keep Bayern alive but fired high at the crossbar. Bayern had won in the quarterfinals on penalties against Bayer Leverkusen but Guardiola’s team looked spent physically and mentally at the end of Tuesday’s match.
“We played a much better second half and had some great chances but Manuel produced some super saves,” Dortmund’s outgoing coach Juergen Klopp said. Klopp could now end his seven-year spell in Dortmund with a title despite a poor season in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund’s rival in the May 30 final in Berlin will be either Wolfsburg or third-division Arminia Bielefeld, who play Wednesday. Lewandowski put Bayern ahead in the 29th. Shinji Kagawa gave the ball away with a bad pass on a Dortmund attack, Mehdi Benatia sent a long ball down the field and Lewandowski raced alone toward the goal, chipping the ball with his left foot over Langerak. The ball hit the post and bounced back to Lewandowski, who slotted home past Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Langerak, who were both slow to react.
Early in the second half, Lewandowski hit the crossbar and the ball bounced back to Thomas Mueller, who tried to get by Marcel Schmelzer. The Dortmund defender handled the ball but Bayern did not get the penalty call.
“We were lucky there, but I am not apologizing,” Klopp said.
Dortmund equalized in the 75th, when substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan squared the ball to the far post and Aubameyang slid to chip it into the net. Neuer punched the ball out but it was well over the line.
Neuer saved shots by Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus as the 90 minutes drew to a close, while Bastian Schweinsteiger missed with two headed attempts in extra time, first sending the ball high and then drawing a superb save from Langerak with his leg.
Dortmund’s Kevin Kampl, who came on in the 83rd, picked up his second booking for an unnecessary foul in the 108th and was sent off.
Arjen Robben came on in the 68th for Thiago Alcantara, but his comeback after five weeks out with an abdominal injury lasted only 16 minutes as he hobbled off with a calf injury.
Klopp and Guardiola embraced before the shootout, but Guardiola was clearly downbeat after the loss.
