Double glory! Lewy and King seal DFB Cup

FC Bayern are 2019 DFB Cup winners! The Bavarians beat RB Leipzig 3-0 in the DFB Cup final in Berlin on Saturday night, rounding off the domestic double. Robert Lewandowski opened the scored midway through the first half, Kingsley Coman and again Lewandowski settling the matter in the closing stages.

The Bavarians started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Joshua Kimmich, Niklas Süle, Mats Hummels and David Alaba in a back four. Javi Martínez and Thiago anchored a midfield featuring Coman, Thomas Müller and Serge Gnabry, with Lewandowski as lone striker.

Lewy opens

The 74,322 full house at Berlin's Olympic Stadium saw two evenly-matched sides contest a high-octane first half. Gnabry raced clear but only hit the side-netting after two minutes. Bayern struggled against RB's early pressing at first, and Neuer soon performed miracles to keep the scores level when he deflected a powerful Yussuf Poulsen header onto the bar. Kimmich made a crucial tackle against Poulsen and superbly thwarted a Timo Werner chance five minutes later.

It took Lewandowski's individual quality to turn the tide and put Bayern ahead. The Poland captain had to move away from goal to connect with an Alaba cross, but with his back to the goal, he spun and somehow produced a pinpoint header that left netminder Peter Gulacsi rooted to the spot. Lewandowski's heroics did not only put Bayern in front but also back in charge. The Bavarians were buoyed by the opener and went looking for a second one, and Coman latched onto a through-ball and rounded Gulacsi, but Ibrahima Konate scrambled the ball off the line, and match official Tobias Stieler blew for half-time.

Scorching second half

Proceedings were similar after the restart. Thiago rifled over the bar, but it was the Bulls who enjoyed a spell in charge at first, and Bayern had to thank Neuer when he made another world-class save to deny the onrushing Emil Forsberg. Neuer saved a Werner effort before Gulacsi proved equal to a Lewandowski shot at the other end. Süle scrambled a Werner shot off the line before Hummels let fly after an impressive dribble, but Gulacsi was on hand.

Corentin Tolisso took over from Martínez before Lewandowski glanced a header wide. Arjen Robben took over from Gnabry in the Dutchman's last competitive match for Bayern, and Coman soon twisted the knife, shining with a brilliant first touch and sidestepping a defender before firing into the far corner of the net. Lewandowski rounded off the scoreline when he raced clear and chipped the ball over Gulacsi after fine groundwork by Kimmich. Ribéry replaced Coman, making his final appearance for Bayern before Kimmich drew a save from Gulacsi, Robben firing over the bar, and Stieler blew for full-time.

The German record champions will be back in action in just two days, when they travel to face Kaiserslautern in a friendly, but first they will celebrate a fine season and two titles together with their fans in Munich on Sunday.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen