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.
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