Lucas Hoeler secured a dramatic injury‑time penalty to eliminate Bayern Munich from the German Cup on Tuesday, giving Freiburg a 2‑1 victory and a place in the semi‑finals. Nicolas Hoefler had earlier equalised after Dayot Upamecano’s opening goal for Bayern, and Hoeler later converted the spot‑kick after Jamal Musiala handled the ball in the box. Despite losing last year’s final on penalties to RB Leipzig, Hoeler remained composed and sent his side through for the second consecutive year. Bayern, meanwhile, missed the last four for the third straight season, while Freiburg aim to win the German Cup for the first time.
New Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel made a single change to the lineup that had thrashed Dortmund 4‑2 to retake the Bundesliga summit on Saturday, swapping Manchester City loanee João Cancelo for Alphonso Davies. The home side took the lead midway through the first half when France defender Upamecano rose highest to head in a Joshua Kimmich corner. Bayern, who had put the game out of Dortmund’s reach with three goals in ten first‑half minutes, continued to press, but the visitors were the next to score. A scuffed clearance from Bayern winger Kingsley Coman fell to Hoefler, who unleashed a screamer from outside the box to level the scores. Freiburg then sat deep under pressure, venturing forward only occasionally. As the match edged toward extra time, Musiala’s attempt to block a shot deflected off his arm, prompting the referee to award a penalty. Hoeler stepped up and struck the ball into the top corner, leaving Yann Sommer no chance. Bayern, holders of a record 20 German Cup titles, will have a chance for revenge when they travel to Freiburg for a league match on Saturday.
Earlier on Tuesday, a rapid double from France striker Randal Kolo Muani sent Eintracht Frankfurt into the semi‑finals with a 2‑0 home win over Union Berlin. Kolo Muani scored two goals within two minutes early in the first half, both set up by Mario Götze, and Frankfurt held on despite a late Union surge. The victory kept the Europa League holders on track for a sixth German Cup triumph and their first since 2018. Kolo Muani praised the “complete victory” and credited Götze, telling German TV network ZDF, “he makes everyone in the team better.” Union, ten points ahead of their sixth‑placed Bundesliga rivals and on course for a maiden Champions League appearance, could not recover. Frankfurt, winless in seven matches across all competitions, started strongly and were 2‑0 up in a flash thanks to Kolo Muani. He netted his first in the 11th minute, latching onto a Götze back‑heel and blasting past backup Union goalkeeper Lennart Grill, then doubled the lead by lifting the ball over an out‑of‑position Grill. Since joining Frankfurt from Ligue 1 side Nantes in the summer, Kolo Muani has scored five goals in four Cup matches.
Freiburg and Frankfurt will be joined in the last four by the winners of Wednesday’s quarter‑finals, where holders RB Leipzig host Dortmund and Stuttgart travel to second‑division Nuremberg. dwi/mw © Agence France‑Presse
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