FC Bayern Women to host Hoffenheim in semi-finals

FC Bayern Women have been drawn at home to Hoffenheim in the semi-finals of the 2024/25 DFB Cup. Monday evening’s draw was conducted by Celia Sasic, DFB vice-president for equality and diversity, and former Germany international Turid Knaak. The game will be played on 22 or 23 March.

Bianca Rech, FC Bayern Women director: “We’ve got a very demanding opponent in Hoffenheim for the DFB Cup semi-finals. It’ll be a big challenge with the run of midweek games in March. But we’re pleased to be at home and will give our all to reach the final.”

Bayern advanced to the semis following a dramatic quarter-final tie with Eintracht Frankfurt. | © Imago

Opponent: Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim have enjoyed an impressive cup run so far. They started by beating Hegnach 7-0 in the second round before a 5-0 victory over Bochum in the last 16. But by far their biggest scalp was that of holders Wolfsburg with a 1-0 win in the quarter-finals. The She-Wolves had won the cup every year since 2015, including beating Bayern 2-0 in last season’s final. The Munich Frauen now get to take on the holders’ conquerors.

Bayern are aiming to return to Cologne for the final once again. | © FC Bayern / Sofieke van Bilsen

Bayern recently got one over Hoffenheim, winning 3-1 in Sinsheim in the Bundesliga after going a goal down inside 25 minutes. Klara Bühl turned things around before the break. Alara Sehitler and Pernille Harder then secured all three points for the defending champions.

Bayern’s road to the semis

Bayern kicked off their cup campaign with a 6-0 win over second division Sand in the second round before edging past Freiburg 2-1 in the last 16. The quarter-final then proved to be a classic DFB Cup encounter, with Jovana Damnjanovic snatching a 90th-minute equaliser for Bayern at home to Frankfurt to take the game to extra-time, where the Reds then found another gear and struck three more times through Momoko Tanikawa, Glodis Viggosdottir and Damnjanovic again to ensure progress to the final four.

Read more about the drama of the quarter-final against Frankfurt: