Football news - Bayern Munich beat RB Leipzig in German Cup final to win Double
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Updated 25/05/2019 at 20:49 GMT
German Cup final report, Olympiastadion - RB Leipzig 0 Bayern Munich 3 (Lewandowski 29, 86, Coman 78)
Bayern Munich celebrate lifting the DFB-Pokal on Saturday
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Bayern Munich beat RB Leipzig 3-0 in the German Cup final as Robert Lewandowski inspired his team to clinch the domestic Double for the 12th time in their history.
Leipzig made the better start, but Lewandowski broke the deadlock with a brilliantly placed header after 29 minutes, before Kingsley Coman's fierce strike (78) gave Niko Kovac's side clear breathing space.
With Leipzig searching for a way back into the contest, Lewandowski broke clear to lift in a second as Bayern sealed a 19th German Cup title.
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Lewandowski is mobbed after scoring his second of the night
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Kovac, who has been tipped to leave Bayern despite winning two trophies in his first season in charge, won the DFB-Pokal last season with Eintracht Frankfurt, and he becomes the first person to win the domestic Double in Germany both as a player and as a manager having done so with Bayern in 2003.
Leipzig had enjoyed more possession and looked the more likely to find the breakthrough in the opening 25 minutes as Yussuf Poulsen was brilliantly denied by the fingertips of Manuel Neuer, on his return to the side after six weeks out with a calf strain.
The Denmark international's firm header was expertly tipped onto the crossbar before Lewandowski was fortunate not to be penalised for a tug on the shirt of Ibrahima Konate as the ball broke loose.
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Youssuf Poulsen is denied by Manuel Neuer
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But against the run of play, it was Lewandowski's sixth goal in this year's competition that gave the Bavarians the lead.
David Alaba found some space down the left, and while the Austrian's cross was slightly behind the striker, he managed to arch his back and direct an unstoppable header into the bottom corner beyond Peter Gulacsi.
The goal moved Lewandowski joint fifth with Claudio Pizarro in the all-time German Cup goalscoring charts on 32, and Bayern came close to doubling their lead before the break as Coman rounded Gulacsi only to see his effort cleared brilliantly off the line by Konate.
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Kingsley Coman blasts in Bayern's second
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Leipzig began the second half strongly as Neuer was again forced into drastic action to deny Emil Forsberg, making himself big during their one-on-one duel to preserve Bayern's slender lead, before Tim Werner's shot was cleared off the line by Niklas Süle 10 minutes later.
The miss proved costly as with 12 minutes remaining, Bayern edged a step closer to their 19th DFB-Pokal as after Joshua Kimmich's cross was intercepted by Konate, Coman brilliantly sold Konrad Laimer with the dummy as he chopped onto his left foot and blasted his shot high above Gulacsi into the net.
With Ralf Rangnick's side already down and out, substitute Dayot Upamecano was beaten by Kimmich's clearance, as Lewandowski raced clear to put the seal on another domestic Double for the Bavarians, showing superb composure to dink his shot over Gulacsi.
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Robert Lewandowski produced a trademark finish to make it 3-0
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TALKING POINT - Neuer is still world class
RB Leipzig will play Champions League football next season, and had already created history in reaching their first ever German Cup final - but they will rue a series of missed opportunities, with the scoreline deeply flattering Bayern. The best of those chances fell to Poulsen, whose point-blank header after just 11 minutes was superbly tipped onto the bar by Neuer.
There has been plenty of talk that the 33-year-old's powers have been on the wane, but here on his return to the side following injury, he produced another vital stop to deny Forsberg in a one-on-one with the score at 1-0 in the second period.
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Manuel Neuer saves brilliantly from Poulsen in the first half
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MAN OF THE MATCH - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
A simple choice, when you consider that this was peak Lewandowski.
In an age of declining natural centre-forwards, the 30-year-old Poland striker looks as lethal as ever, giving a glimpse of his predatory instincts with his clinical header to break the deadlock before capping off another ruthless display by punishing the dithering Upamecano to lift in a brilliant second.
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Robert Lewandowski celebrates his opener
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PLAYER RATINGS
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi 8, Halstenberg 6, Orban 6, Konate 7, Klostermann 6, Adams 6, Kampl 7, Forsberg 6, Sabitzer 6, Poulsen 7, Werner 6. Subs: Haidara n/a, Laimer n/a Upamecano 5.
Bayern Munich: Neuer 8, Sule 7, Hummels 7, Alaba 7, Kimmich 7, Martinez 6, Thiago 7, Gnabry 6, Coman 8, Muller 7, Lewandowski 9. Subs: Tolisso 6, Ribery n/a, Robben 6.
KEY MOMENTS
11' - OFF THE BAR! The outswinger is met by Poulsen but his header is tipped onto the bar! Great reflexes from Neuer!!
29' - GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!! RB Leipzig 0-1 Bayern Munich. WHAT A GOAL!!!! This is what Robert Lewandowski does best, and it's a superbly directed header to give Bayern an undeserved lead. Alaba gets down the left on the overlap, the ball is a little behind Lewandowski, but he is able to lean back and guide his header low into the corner beyond Gulacsi.
42' - GREAT BLOCK! Great piece of defending from Konate as he races back to his line to thwart Coman. The winger had rounded Gulacsi and only had to lift the ball into the open net, but the defender did so well to get back and clear before avoiding the post!
78' - GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL! RB Leipzig 0-2 Bayern Munich. It's all over, surely now as Kingsley Coman takes this ball out of the sky, works it onto his left foot and thumps this ball past Gulacsi to give Bayern clear breathing space!
86' - GOOOOOOAAAAAL!!!! RB Leipzig 0-3 Bayern Munich. It's a simple clearance from Kimmich that turns into a brilliant pass and Lewandowski is just too fast for Upamecano. As Gulacsi comes out, the striker impudently just lifts the ball over the goalkeeper. It's a brilliant, brilliant finish. Lewandowski is booked for removing his shirt, but he won't care.
KEY STATS
- Robert Lewandowski was crowned the DFB Cup top scorer for the third successive season having finished with seven goals in this year's competition.
- Lewandowski has now scored 191 goals across all competitions for Bayern Munich; 23 of them have come in the DFB Cup.
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