Bayern Munich defeated Bayer Leverkusen in a triumphant 2-0 victory, booking their ticket to Berlin for the DFB-Pokal final for the first time since 2020. The last time Bayern won Germany’s domestic cup competition it came as part of a treble winning season. Are we about to see history repeat itself for the third time in Die Rekormeister’s prestigious history?
Jersey Swap — Mark Flekken
Goalkeepers have a nasty habit of producing their best performances against Bayern, and Mark Flekken wasn’t looking to budge on the custom.
Flekken produced a heroic display in goal making eight saves throughout the game — six from inside Leverkusen’s box. The 32-year-old shot-stopper’s most notable save came in the 63rd minute, showing impressive movement to get a hand on Harry Kane’s low-struck finesse shot.
While the Dutchman made a number of top class saves he — unfortunately for Leverkusen fans — ultimately wasn’t able to save his side from defeat.
Der Kaiser — Dayot Upamecano
For a player who is known to produce errors in high-stakes match ups, Dayot Upamecano commanded the defense flawlessly.
Physically imposing, positionally sound, and tidy on the ball, the Frenchman reminded Bayern faithful why the club broke the bank to tie him down until 2030.
The rest earned between games has also come as a massive benefit to Upamecano. It makes one realize just how much of a difference there is between a well rested and exhausted “Upa”.
Fußballgott — Joshua Kimmich
Boring? Maybe. Undeniable? Certainly.
Joshua Kimmich controlled the midfield from start to finish, proving to be a key figure on and — where the 31-year-old midfielder receives most of his criticism — off the ball. Kimmich finished the match with a 100% tackle success rate, completing both of his attempted tackles. He also proved to be combative throughout the match, winning five out of his eight ground duels.
The mentality monster is locked in, and most importantly, he’s locked in when it matters most.
Der Bomber — Luis Díaz
While Michael Olise has, rightfully, been enjoying his time in the spotlight, Luis Díaz is subtly reminding the footballing world that Bayern have two of the best wingers in world football.
“Lucho’s” 90th minute goal marks his 42nd goal contribution of the season in 44 appearances. Insane numbers for a player who arrived at Bayern with a price tag that didn’t match his age, and a reputation for being wasteful in front of goal. The 29-year-old winger put all such accusations to bed after his first few months in Munich, the rest has been pure privilege to witness — a class footballer enjoying the prime of his career
This far into the season, I would never have thought that Liverpool would be the ones wishing for Díaz back instead of Bayern fans fantasizing about what could have been with Florian Wirtz. Now, all I want to see is Bayern’s number 14 marauding up and down the left flank, causing havoc and headache for every defense he comes up against.
Meister of the Match — Harry Kane
This is the most complete striker of his generation. Heck, if I’d been watching football for the game’s entire existence, I’d argue he’s the most complete striker of all time. All that matters: he plays for Bayern.
Kane’s passing in particular shone against Leverkusen, picking out Olise with pinpoint accuracy on every attempt. Not only is crucial in build-up play, he’s found a way to balance it with his not so secret weapon: scoring goals.
Forget Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé; the world’s best striker — potentially the world’s best footballer — is here in Munich.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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