DFB-Pokal 2012 Semifinals: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund Into Final

The DFB-Pokal has produced a dream final. Bayern Munich are through after winning on penalty kicks over Borussia Mönchengladbach at Borussia-Park on Wednesday, and they will face Borussia Dortmund in the final. Like Tuesday’s semifinal, the two teams were scoreless in regulation and required extra time, but unlike the Dortmund-Greuther Fürth semifinal, there was no miracle winner.

Bayern were given a gift, however. After they converted all three of their first three penalties and Gladbach scored their first two, defender Dante stepped up. Dante is rumored to be leaving Gladbach for Bayern in the offseason, so there was something strangely perfect about his penalty shot, which was blasted over the bar. Bayern made it 4-4 with their next penalty kick before Havard Nordveit hit a poor penalty that was easy for Manuel Neuer to save, clinching Bayern’s win.

Borussia Dortmund will meet the winner of Wednesday’s Bayern Munich - Borussia Mönchengladbach match in the final of the DFB-Pokal. It appeared for most of their match against SpVgg Greuther Fürth that they would be required to go to penalties to advance, but Ilkay Gündogan scored an improbable winner at the death to send Der BVB through with a 1-0 victory after extra time.

A scoreless first 90 minutes sent the match to extra time, and in that 30-minute extra period, Fürth were the surprisingly more ambitious side. Both Max Grün and Roman Weidenfeller were forced into multiple difficult saves throughout the match, and it was extremely entertaining for a 0-0 draw.

If everything goes according to plan, the final of the DFB-Pokal is going to be a spectacular one. On one half of the draw are Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayern Munich, the second and third placed teams in the Bundesliga. Obviously Bayern is the bigger draw, but either team would help make a cup final better.

On the other end of the draw is Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga leaders and the defending Bundesliga champions. They’re big favorites to progress to the final, but the semifinal in front of them is tougher than it appears on the surface. SpVgg Greuther Fürth is no joke.