FC Bayern back in Berlin for VfB Stuttgart showdown

FC Bayern are back on the big stage of the DFB Cup final: on Saturday, the record cup winners face cup holders VfB Stuttgart at the Olympiastadion in Berlin (live coverage with our text commentary and free web radio on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app from 20.00 CEST). Six years on from their last cup final, the Munich men are chomping at the bit to lift the DFB Cup once again – in what will already be the 25th final in the club’s history. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the clash in our preview.

How FC Bayern’s day leading up to the final in Berlin went:

Latest news from FC Bayern

FC Bayern are in the DFB Cup final for the first time since the 2019/20 season  – back then, the club lifted the trophy, beating Bayer Leverkusen 4–2. “Generally speaking, it’s always something very special to come to Berlin,” said Germany international Joshua Kimmich at the pre-match press conference: “You can tell at the club, in the team, even within the family, that absolutely everyone is looking forward to it – partly because we haven’t been here for so long. We’re going to give it our all!” In 24 finals to date, the newly-crowned German champions have missed out on victory just four times; their 25 appearances in the final stand as a solitary record ahead of Schalke 04 (12).

There are also some club records within reach in Berlin: 45 wins from 54 competitive matches (six draws, three defeats) already mean this has been an exceptional season under head coach Vincent Kompany – one more win would see them equal the record of 46 competitive wins set during the 2012/13 treble-winning season. Likewise, just three defeats across the entire season would also see them equal the club record since the turn of the millennium. “Winning here is always a historic moment; Stuttgart managed that last year,” said Kompany on the day before the final: “This season, the whole team has been talking about this cup since day one. That’s why I believe Bayern Munich holds this cup in high regard, and we want to bring it back to Munich.”

The facts on the final:

Striker Harry Kane is once again on everyone’s lips: with 36 Bundesliga goals and a total of 58 goals across all competitions, he's hot on the heels of FCB legend Gerd Müller (66 goals in 1972/73) and is the top scorer in this season’s cup competition with seven goals so far. “The opposition are Bayern Munich, so you have to go the extra mile,” said Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor: “But we don’t need to hide. We’re really motivated!”

FC Bayern’s road to the cup final:

The opposition: VfB Stuttgart

VfB Stuttgart are in the final for the second year running, though the Swabians have never successfully defended the title. “We'll need an exceptional performance. That’s what we’re aiming for; we'll need what you always need against Bayern. And we’ve got the best match-up you can possibly have in Germany, against one of the best teams in Europe.” Last season, VfB celebrated their fourth cup victory with a 4-2 win over Arminia Bielefeld. Since 2000, only three clubs have successfully defended their DFB Cup title – including FC Bayern on no less than three occasions.

However, from VfB’s perspective, their record against the Munich men this season does not look good: the Swabians have lost all three encounters, with a goal difference of 11:3. In the league, Stuttgart were thrashed 5-0 at home, whilst in Munich there was a decisive 4-2 loss – FC Bayern secured their 35th German title ahead of schedule with that home win on 19 April. “We watch every match and analyse them all – no matter how long ago they were,” said VfB coach Hoeneß: “We want to be more consistent this time over a longer period.” FC Bayern also won the very first match of the season, the Supercup final, 2–1 away to the cup winners. Now we're down to the very last match: the cup final in Berlin, where the two clubs will meet again. “When you’ve played Stuttgart five times, against the same coach five times, you obviously know your opponents inside out,” said Kompany: “In the end, there are moments when you believe that if you carry on the way you're going, you can be successful. But you also see moments where they can hurt us.”

This will be the third final between the two clubs in Berlin, following the 1986 encounter (5–2 to Bayern) and the 2013 final (3–2 to Bayern). The match will also see a clash between this season’s top two scorers in the Bundesliga: Harry Kane (36 goals) and Deniz Undav (19), who has already racked up 25 goals in competitive matches for VfB. “We need to lace up our boots tomorrow and make history in this match. Nothing else matters,” said Kompany.

Check out our opposition profile for the lowdown on VfB:

Team news

Manuel Neuer will not be available for Bayern in the final due to a muscle problem in his left calf. Joshua Kimmich will step up as captain and lead the team onto the pitch at the Olympiastadion. Jonas Urbig, Sven Ulreich and Jannis Bärtl have been named as goalkeepers. FCB will also be without Serge Gnabry (adductor muscle strain in his right thigh) and Alphonso Davies (hamstring).

VfB Stuttgart, by contrast, have a full squad available.

Put your knowlege of the fixture to the test in our Matchday Quiz:

What the coaches say

FC Bayern have received almost 5,000 messages of support ahead of the final: