Bayern Munich won a pulsating DFB-Pokal match against RB Leizpig on penalties after 120 minutes couldn’t separate them.
Leipzig were controversially denied a penalty in the first half, but took the lead in the second from the spot through Emil Forsberg, although they had already had Naby Keïta sent off for two yellow cards.
Bayern struck back quickly through Thiago, and Sven Ulreich then saved the vital tenth penalty from Timo Werner to send his side through.
Leipzig infuriated by penalty reversal
This was the first of two meetings between these two sides in three days, with a Bundesliga match at the Allianz-Arena coming on Saturday. Both sides made three changes, with Dayot Upamecano, Kevin Kampl and Jean-Kévin Augustin starting for Leipzig and Joshua Kimmich, Jérôme Boateng and Thiago were brought back by Jupp Heynckes, who picked the strongest team available to him.
The two teams were toe-to-toe in the opening exchanges. Leipzig caused Bayern plenty of problems, whilst Bayern showed moments of class. They came closes at this point of the game, but Robert Lewandowski’s cross was put out by Bernardo before it could find either Thiago or Kingsley Coman.
The hosts became increasingly dangerous though, with Bayern struggling to contain them. Forsberg was denied in the box by Ulreich, who then was able to deal with a poor shot from Augustin just as it looked like he could put them in front.
The biggest talking point of the half came when Arturo Vidal and Forsberg tussled on the edge of the area. In truth Vidal was all over him, and with Forsberg going down in the box, referee Felix Zwayer immediately pointed to the spot, but he also then went to check with his assistant, not having the safety net of VAR in the Pokal. After their discussion, he changed his mind and gave a free-kick, which Forsberg would put over, despite it just brushing the bar on its way.
The incident had definitely started outside the box, and finished just inside, and Leipzig were naturally fuming. Come the half-time whistle, Ralph Hasenhüttl tried to get a word with Zwayer, whilst Leipzig Sporting Director Ralf Rangnick even came charging onto the pitch waving his phone, presumably eager to show video evidence. Bayern, and particularly Mats Hummels, were not happy in ugly scenes as the players went off.
Thiago levels after ten men go ahead
There had been quite a few rough challenges throughout the first, with Corentin Tolisso lucky not to have been booked, whilst Keïta had gone into the book just before the break. Early in the second half he foolishly tugged at Lewandowski’s shorts, enough to send him down to the ground. Zwayer showed him another yellow, and Leipzig were down to ten men.
The natural way of thinking is that Bayern would now go on to dominate, just as they had when Forsberg was sent off in their first-ever encounter last season. Initially that was indeed the case. Coman had a great chance after being fed by David Alaba, although it was an easy save for Peter Gulácsi at his near post. Bayern then capitalised on a mistake from Marcel Halstenberg but Lewandowski’s strike drifted wide.
Then came the second moment of penalty controversy. Zwayer again awarded Leipzig a spot kick after Boateng appeared to foul Yussuf Poulsen just inside the box – it was debatable whether it was inside the box, and Poulsen certainly knew where Boateng’s outstretched leg was. Forsberg stepped up and sent Ulreich the wrong way to put the ten men in front.
If Baoateng needed to redeem himself, then he did so just a minutes later. As Bayern attacked, it was he who played a delightful ball into the box to pick out Thiago. The Spaniard did the rest, and Bayern were level.
The match would slip into extra time, but not before a Thiago effort was saved by Gulácsi, with Bernado blocking the follow-up from Lewandowski. Timo Werner was also a threat for Leipzig after he came on in place of Poulsen.
Werner only man to miss in shootout
After a slow start to the extra 30 minutes, Bayern really began to pile on the pressure, only to find Gulácsi standing between them and another goal. The Hungarian goalkeeper made a superb double save when Sebastian Rudy planted the ball in the box, first from Thiago and then from Kimmich.
Heynckes then surprisingly brought on 23-year-old reserve striker Kwasi Okyere Wriedt as their fourth permitted substation, and it was nearly an inspired decision as he headed a Bayern corner into the post. A poor save a minute later from Gulácsi then fell straight to Lewandowski, however the keeper just got a hand to it to send it over.
Lewandowski would miss out on a goal again just after the turnaround – Arjen Robben beat Gulácsi with his high cross, but the striker couldn’t direct his header on target. In fact very few could test the keepers, with Alaba and Rudy both shooting wide for Bayern and Werner likewise for Leipzig. He did though put the ball in the net, but was flagged for offside. A dangerous ball from Diego Demme had Ulreich in a mess right at the end, but Konrad Laimer couldn’t make the most of it.
The penalty shootout was a display of brilliance, with all of the first nine penalties scored. Leipzig, going second, almost seemed to have a plan to go down the middle, with Ulreich, like most keepers, choosing to dive one way or the other. The only man who didn’t was Werner, and almost inevitably Ulreich dived the right way, to Werner’s right, and for the second time this season he was the hero in the shootout.