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Munich reach cup final 4-2 on penalties over Moenchengladbach

Mar 21, 2012, 22:44 GMT

Moenchengladbach, Germany - Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 on penalties Wednesday to reach the German cup final against Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund in their search for a title treble.

Brazilian defender Dante, who has been linked with a summer move to Munich, aimed high for the hosts in the shootout, and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer then saved from Havard Nordtveit to clinch victory.

David Alaba, Franck Ribery, Philipp Lahm and Toni Kroos converted all penalties for Munich, while Filip Daems and Patrick Herrmann had successful spot kicks for Moenchengladbach.

The game was locked at 0-0 after 120 minutes of regulation and extra time, with Munich's Toni Kroos denied by the right post early on and Moenchengladbach's Marco Reus stopped by Neuer in the 84th minute.

'We would have preferred to decide the game earlier. We wanted to make the final and are happy to go to Berlin,' said Neuer, who won the cup last season with Schalke before joining Munich in summer.

Moenchengladbach coach Lucien Favre said: 'It will be difficult to accept this defeat. We can't change it and must look ahead. That's life - that's football.'

In the May 12 final in Berlin, Munich meet Dortmund in a duel of Germany's best teams. The Bundesliga leaders and champions Borussia Dortmund escaped second-division leaders Greuther Fuerth 1-0 on Tuesday in extra time.

Munich trail Dortmund by five points in the league but can still claim a ninth domestic double and are in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Dortmund have never achieved the double and lost the 2008 cup final against Munich.

Bayern lost both Bundesliga games against Moenchengladbach - with Neuer blundering on both occasions - but entered their third meeting coming off 20 goals scored in their last three games.

The frenzy almost continued early on, but Kroos was denied by the right post from 20 metres in the fifth minute.

Mario Gomez had a chance for the visitors before Neuer needed to save from Reus and Daems. The last big chance in a lively first half came from Munich's Arjen Robben, who aimed high from point-blank range in the 40th minute.

The Dutch winger Robben was off target again after the restart, and Juan Arango aimed high seconds later on the other end before the game became a cautious affair.

Moenchengladbach almost stole a late victory, but Reus failed to get past Neuer after being set up nicely by Arango in the 83rd, and Robben was denied by Marc Andre ter Stegen in extra time to set up the finale.

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