Kane and Diaz strike to secure Bayern's Pokal final ticket as Leverkusen bow out | OneFootball

Bayern Munich's quest for a domestic double remains alive and well after they defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 in the DFB-Pokal semi final tonight. Vincent Kompany's side will travel to Berlin and contest the final for Germany's jewel-encrusted cup for the first time since 2020.

The Bavarians took the game to their hosts from the first whistle, with Dayot Upamecano heading over the bar before Luis Díaz forced Mark Flekken into a smart save. Leverkusen largely struggled to break out of their own half as the red waves remained impenetrable.

It seemed like only a matter of time before the resistance collapsed and Bayern surged into a 1-0 lead on 22 minutes. Jamal Musiala's perfectly weighted cross from the right was left by the spatially aware Díaz. Harry Kane lay unmarked to dispatch into the roof of the net. 

All three of Michael Olise, Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović tested Flekken with somewhat tame shots thereafter. Leverkusen struggled to muster anything in the final third, requiring Kasper Hjulmand to replace Lucas Vasquez with the pace of Ernest Poku out wide.

After a fine clearance from Robert Andrich to deny Bayern upon the restart, Leverkusen eventually fired their first shot of the night. Nathan Tella tested Manuel Neuer who had his wits about him to divert it past the post. It wasn't long before the Bavarians regained control. 

Once again, the Rhinelanders' shot-stopper had to act twice in quick succession – first to deny Josip Stanišić and then Harry Kane with an excellent parry. Tella almost rounded off a swift counterattack with 20 minutes left, but his deflected drive didn't trouble Neuer. 

The hosts showed a more courage late on as Jarell Quansah's cross was headed wide by a quiet Patrik Schick. Requiring fresh legs, both sides made changes in the form of Alphonso Davies and Leon Goretzka for Bayern, while Leverkusen called upon Montrell Culbreath. 

Hjulmand's side, largely inspired by the talented Ibrahim Maza, threw the kitchen sink at Bayern through 3 minutes of injury time. However, the Bavarians ensured their Berlin finale berth, as Goretzka fed Diaz on the break for 2-0 and now await the winners of Stuttgart and Freiburg.