Third-tier Arminia Bielefeld shoot way into DFB-Pokal semis; Bayern’s Manuel Neuer saves Munich in own shoot-out

Agencies

Third-division Arminia Bielefeld evoked the magic of the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) with a penalty shoot-out win over Borussia Monchengladbach seeing them through to the semi-finals.

After defeating Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen in previous rounds, the East Westphalians added a third, even more significant scalp to their list of triumphs at the Bielefeld Arena on Wednesday night.

After Manuel Junglas’s opener was cancelled out by a Max Kruse penalty, Bielefeld held on to force extra-time and penalties.

Raffael missed the first for Lucien Favre's men, who are third in the Bundesliga with Bielefeld on top of Germany's third tier, but a Marc Lorenz miss with Bielefeld's last penalty gave Gladbach a lifeline.

They did not take it, though, and Ibrahima Traore missed the decisive spot-kick to send Bielefeld through.

Bielefeld’s reward was a home tie with Wolfsburg in the semi-finals while.

Holders Bayern Munich, meanwhile, reached the German Cup semi-finals after beating Bayer Leverkusen 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out of their own.

This is the sixth year in a row that Bayern have reached the semi-finals.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was Bayern’s hero at Leverkusen’s BayArena after saving Swiss striker Josip Drmic’s first spot-kick penalty to give Bayern the advantage.

Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski, Xabi Alonso, Mario Gotze and finally Thiago Alcantara, who is just back from a year’s absence with injury, all then drilled home their spot kicks to put Munich in the last four.

“No-one deserved to lose a game like that,” said Neuer.

“You could really see that no-one wanted to make a mistake.

“Of course, it’s a bitter result for Leverkusen, they really put a lot into it.”

In the semi-finals, Bayern will host Borussia Dortmund with Wolfsburg home to Bielefeld when the semi-finals are played on April 28 and 29.

“That’s ok for us, if you want to win the cup you need to beat the best teams, so it’s Dortmund for us,” said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola.

On Tuesday, a thunderbolt of a shot from veteran midfielder Sebastian Kehl sealed Borussia Dortmund’s 3-2 extra-time win over Hoffenheim to book their place in the last four.

The 35-year-old Kehl’s speculative half-volley flew perfectly off his boot and into the Hoffenheim net on 107 minutes to put Dortmund in the semi-finals for the third time in four years.

Dortmund had taken an early lead but Neven Subotic’s 19th-minute goal was cancelled out by Hoffenheim’s Kevin Volland just 102 seconds later.

Brazil international Roberto Firmino put Hoffenheim 2-1 up at half-time before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalised midway through the second-half as it stayed 2-2 at the end of normal time.

Wolfsburg took a step towards their first silverware since winning the 2009 Bundesliga title when a Ricardo Rodriguez penalty sealed their 1-0 quarter-final win at home to Freiburg.

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