Royal Blues bar Reds’ route to the final

After seeing off the brave challenge posed by second division Greuther Fürth in the quarter-finals, Bayern have only one hurdle to overcome before booking a place in the DFB Cup final at the Berlin Olympic stadium – but a tough obstacle has been thrown in the 14-time winners’ way, as they must travel to face Felix Magath’s Schalke in the semi-finals on 23 or 24 March. Bremen host Augsburg in the other last four clash.

The semi-final draw was made live on national TV by Nadine Angerer, a Women’s World Cup winner with Germany and Bayern women’s goalkeeper from 1999 to 2001. “It’s the draw I wanted,” former Munich chief Magath said in a first reaction. “If we are to beat Munich, it’ll be at home, and if we are to meet Munich, I’d rather it was in the semi-finals.”

Schalke currently lie third in the Bundesliga, three points behind second-placed Bayern, and boast the meanest defence in the German top flight with just 15 goals conceded in 21 matches.

Bayern’s superior record

The Reds’ record against the Royal Blues in the cup is overwhelmingly positive. The teams have met seven times in the competition before now, with FCB winning the tie on six occasions. The most recent meeting was in the 2004-5 final, won 2-1 by Munich courtesy of goals from Roy Makaay and Hasan Salihamidzic.

Ironically, Bayern’s solitary cup defeat to S04 came in the 2001-2 semi-finals in Gelsenkirchen, when the home side won 2-0 after extra-time. However, Bayern have not lost at the Veltins Arena for four years, winning two and drawing two of the four matches there. By sheer coincidence, the teams meet again on the same ground in the Bundesliga just ten days after this term’s semi-final.

Legendary 6-6 draw

The most memorable cup meeting between the teams was a legendary 6-6 draw in 1983-4. Bayern twice led a dramatic match, but the scores were level at 4-4 in normal time. Dieter Hoeneß twice put Munich ahead in the additional 30 minutes, but Bernhard Dietz pulled one back, and the then 18-year-old Olaf Thon completed his hat-trick to make the final score 6-6. Bayern won the replay in Munich 3-2.

DFB Cup semi-finals

Werder Bremen v FC Augsburg
Schalke 04 v Bayern Munich