Bayern 3 VfB Stuttgart 2Super Bayern make history with treble triumph01.06.2013
Super Bayern crowned a season of the superlatives in Berlin on Saturday, completing a historic treble of the domestic double and the Champions League with a hard-earned and ultimately knife-edge 3-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the DFB Cup final. The record-breaking 2012/13 campaign, which ends with Jupp Heynckes finally winning the German knockout cup as a coach in his last match in the country, ranks as comfortably the most successful in Bayern’s already glorious 113-year history.
The 74,244 full house at the Olympic Stadium in the national capital saw a helter-skelter opening with chances at both ends, but Heynckes’ men gained the upper hand after the midpoint of the first half and Thomas Müller deservedly opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 37 minutes.
Mario Gomez doubled the lead from point-blank range just three minutes after the break, and then made it three on the hour, seemingly sealing the outcome with a routine finish. But there was still plenty of action to come as the Reds eased back a shade too much, allowing Austria international Martin Harnik to net a brace on 71 and 80 minutes and set up a frantic finish. Stuttgart courageously laid siege to the Bayern goal but the Reds held out to seal the historic triumph.
Bayern’s 16th DFB Cup triumph rounds off a stunning season for the Bavarians, in which they contested 53 matches - 34 in the Bundesliga, 13 in the Champions League and six in the domestic cup – and won 45, with only three defeats in all competitions.
Heynckes’ final line-up as a coach in Germany showed two changes to the team which ascended the European throne at Wembley last weekend. One was expected, after Dante was obliged to miss the cup final due to an international call-up from Brazil, with Daniel van Buyten coming in as the centre-back’s trusted deputy.
The second change was a minor surprise, with Heynckes’ feeling Gomez’ additional motivation against the club where he made his name warranted his inclusion at Mario Mandzukic’ expense.
It meant FCB started with Manuel Neuer in goal, marshalling a back four of captain Philipp Lahm, Van Buyten, Jerome Boateng and David Alaba. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez anchored the midfield as normal, with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery on the flanks, and Müller working his magic behind centre-forward Gomez.
Stuttgart boss Bruno Labbadia, a distinguished striker for Bayern in his day, also fielded a nominal 4-2-3-1 formation with former FCB youth Georg Niedermeier at the heart of the defence, and seasoned Bosnia-Herzegovina hitman Vedad Ibisevic as the lone striker.
Once referee Manuel Gräfe whistled play underway, Bayern immediately hit their stride and Robben forced VfB keeper Sven Ulreich into a frantic early save, but Labbadia’s men stood their ground and Romania international Alexandru Maxim miscued a ninth-minute volley with the goal at his mercy.
Robben and Ribery were flying and the Stuttgart defence twice cleared at the last minute, but FCB’s passing was a touch ragged at times and the underdogs created another huge chance midway through the half, Neuer clawing the ball off his line as Niedermeier followed up the keeper’s initial reflex save from Ibisevic.
The favourites began to assert control after 25 minutes, but Ulreich stood his ground well when Alaba attempted to finish off a flowing Munich break, Mr Gräfe controversially waved away the Reds’ appeals when VfB skipper Serdar Tasci clipped Robben’s shins in the box, and the Dutch ace then saw his thunderous volley blocked.
Gräfe did point to the spot on 35 minutes after Ibrahima Traoré tripped the charging Lahm, Müller stepping up and coolly sending Ulreich the wrong way to open the scoring. Munich ended the half in the driving seat, but Gomez scooped the last chance before the break high over the bar and the match remained delicately poised at half-time.
Gomez went one better just three minutes after the restart, bundling home the second from close range after Robben brilliantly released Lahm for a driven cross into the six-yard box. It was relatively plain sailing for the Reds after that as the fight slowly ebbed out of the VfB side, Gomez seemingly banishing any lingering doubts when he tucked away his second and his side’s third from Müller’s lay-off just after the hour.
It was Gomez’ last kick as he now gave way to Mandzukic, who tested Ulreich with his first touch, before Alaba and Robben saw shots blocked. FCB unwisely eased back now and Harnik netted a 71st-minute goal for the men in white with a powerful header from sub Gotoku Sakai’s cross. Ulreich saved from Ribery and Neuer from VfB’s second substitute Shinji Okazaki, but the game suddenly exploded into life with ten minutes left when Harnik first hit the post and then put away the rebound as chaos reigned in the FCB box.
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk now made one final appearance for FCB as Robben’s defensive replacement, Mandzukic spurning a chance to wrap it up once and for all four minutes from time, and although Neuer’s goal came under heavy pressure in a frenzied finish, the Kings of Europe held on for the historic treble.
Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley
