Bayern enter German Cup final
Berlin, April 18 (IANS) Bayern Munich beat Bayer Leverkusen 6-2 in an away tie, qualifying for the German Cup final thanks to three goals from captain Thomas Mueller, two from Robert Lewandowski and one from Thiago Alcantara.
The scoreline came in the second half of Tuesday night’s match after a relatively even first half, reports Efe news.
Bayern took to the field with five changes from the team that had started the match in the 5-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on April 14.
Jerome Boateng, Javi Martinez, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski were on the pitch in place of Niklas Suele, Corentin Tolisso, Juan Bernat, Sebastian Rudy and Sandro Wagner.
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring in the third minute by extending a left-footed effort from Javi Martinez from the edge of the box.
In the 8th, it was Lewandowski again, increasing the score with a shot from short distance.
However, Leverkusen were back in the game when Lars Bender grabbed the opportunity to score in the 16th minute.
Bender scored headfirst after a shot from Kai Havertz hit Jerome Boateng’s back.
Leverkusen had a good chance to draw with a strike from winger Karim Bellarabi in the 37th minute, but Bayern’s goalkeeper Sven Ulreich made a great save.
Overall, the game was played in the half of Leverkusen, who were looking for their chances with quick counter-attacks.
Leverkusen again came close to a draw in the second half when, in the 50th minute, Ulreich stopped a shot from Bellarabi that could have been the start of a different ending.
However, what came in the 52nd minute was Bayern’s third goal by Mueller, who scored after a good pass from Thiago.
Then Leverkusen collapsed and Bayern had no mercy. In the 61st minute Thiago made the fourth, from a pass of Robben in a play initiated by Ribery, and in the 63rd minute Mueller scored the fifth.
Leverkusen managed to make up the result a little bit with a great free-kick goal by Jamaican Leon Bailey but shortly after Mueller would score the sixth for Bayern and his hat-trick.
