Bayern Munich defeated Bayer Leverkusen in a triumphant 2-0 victory, booking their ticket to Berlin for the DFB-Pokal final for the first time since 2020. The last time Bayern won Germany\u2019s domestic cup competition it came as part of a treble winning season. Are we about to see history repeat itself for the third time in Die Rekormeister\u2019s prestigious history?<\/p>\n
Jersey Swap \u2014 Mark Flekken<\/p>\n
Goalkeepers have a nasty habit of producing their best performances against Bayern, and Mark Flekken wasn\u2019t looking to budge on the custom.<\/p>\n
Flekken produced a heroic display in goal making eight saves throughout the game \u2014 six from inside Leverkusen\u2019s box. The 32-year-old shot-stopper\u2019s most notable save came in the 63rd minute, showing impressive movement to get a hand on Harry Kane\u2019s low-struck finesse shot.<\/p>\n
While the Dutchman made a number of top class saves he \u2014 unfortunately for Leverkusen fans \u2014 ultimately wasn\u2019t able to save his side from defeat.<\/p>\n
Der Kaiser \u2014 Dayot Upamecano<\/p>\n
For a player who is known to produce errors in high-stakes match ups, Dayot Upamecano commanded the defense flawlessly.<\/p>\n
Physically imposing, positionally sound, and tidy on the ball, the Frenchman reminded Bayern faithful why the club broke the bank to tie him down until 2030.<\/p>\n
The rest earned between games has also come as a massive benefit to Upamecano. It makes one realize just how much of a difference there is between a well rested and exhausted \u201cUpa\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fu\u00dfballgott \u2014 Joshua Kimmich<\/p>\n
Boring? Maybe. Undeniable? Certainly.<\/p>\n
Joshua Kimmich controlled the midfield from start to finish, proving to be a key figure on and \u2014 where the 31-year-old midfielder receives most of his criticism \u2014 off the ball. Kimmich finished the match with a 100% tackle success rate<\/a>, completing both of his attempted tackles. He also proved to be combative throughout the match, winning five out of his eight ground duels.<\/p>\n The mentality monster is locked in, and most importantly, he\u2019s locked in when it matters most.<\/p>\n Der Bomber \u2014 Luis D\u00edaz<\/p>\n While Michael Olise has, rightfully, been enjoying his time in the spotlight, Luis D\u00edaz is subtly reminding the footballing world that Bayern have two of the best wingers in world football.<\/p>\n \u201cLucho\u2019s\u201d 90th minute goal marks his 42nd goal contribution of the season in 44 appearances. Insane numbers for a player who arrived at Bayern with a price tag that didn\u2019t match his age, and a reputation for being wasteful in front of goal. The 29-year-old winger put all such accusations to bed after his first few months in Munich, the rest has been pure privilege to witness \u2014 a class footballer enjoying the prime of his career<\/p>\n This far into the season, I would never have thought that Liverpool would be the ones wishing for D\u00edaz back instead of Bayern fans fantasizing about what could have been with Florian Wirtz. Now, all I want to see is Bayern\u2019s number 14 marauding up and down the left flank, causing havoc and headache for every defense he comes up against.<\/p>\n Meister of the Match \u2014 Harry Kane<\/p>\n This is the most complete striker of his generation. Heck, if I\u2019d been watching football for the game\u2019s entire existence, I\u2019d argue he\u2019s the most complete striker of all time. All that matters: he plays for Bayern.<\/p>\n Kane\u2019s passing in particular shone against Leverkusen, picking out Olise with pinpoint accuracy on every attempt. Not only is crucial in build-up play, he\u2019s found a way to balance it with his not so secret weapon: scoring goals.<\/p>\n Forget Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbapp\u00e9; the world\u2019s best striker \u2014 potentially the world\u2019s best footballer \u2014 is here in Munich.<\/p>\n If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, Apple<\/a>, or any leading podcast distributor\u2026 <\/p>\n