2014 DFB-Pokal Final

Lore & Background

It was Dortmund's sixth final, of which they had won three, including their most recent in 2012 against Bayern. Bayern were the defending champions, and it was their 20th final. The winners would have earned a place in the group stage of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League, but both teams had already qualified for the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League via their league positions. Because of this, the three Europa League spots were passed down through league positions. This was the last season in which the cup runners-up would have qualified for the Europa League if the winners had already qualified for the Champions League. The winners also earned the right to play in the 2014 DFL-Supercup; as Bayern had already won the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund became their opponents regardless of the result due to them also finishing as league runners-up.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Olympiastadion was thick enough to choke on, a suffocating blend of Berlin humidity and the electric tension of Der Klassiker. Marco Reus tore down the right flank, his boots carving desperate arcs into the turf, hunting for an opening that simply did not exist. Above him, the Yellow Wall erupted—a tidal wave of scarves and drums convinced that victory was already theirs. Then, silence crashed down. Mario Götze's volley didn't just ripple the net; it severed the dream in half. The double evaporated instantly, replaced by the cold, heavy realization that their former boy had just turned their anthem into a dirge.

Reader's Guide

Dortmund began their cup campaign on 3 August 2013, with a 3–0 away win over fourth-tier SV Wilhelmshaven. In the second round, away to 1860 München, the game was goalless after 90 minutes; Dortmund advanced with extra-time goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. In Round 3, away to 1. FC Saarbrücken, Dortmund won with goals from Julian Schieber and Jonas Hofmann. In the quarterfinals, Dortmund travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt, winning by a late Aubameyang strike. Their semifinal was their only home game of the run, won 2–0 on 15 April 2014 against VfL Wolfsburg with goals from Mkhitaryan and Lewandowski. Bayern Munich played their first-round match on 5 August 2013, away to fourth-tier BSV Schwarz-Weiß Rehden, winning 5–0. In the second round, they faced Hannover 96 at home, winning 4–1. Their third-round match was away to FC Augsburg, winning to put Bayern into the quarterfinals. There they played Hamburger SV away, and won 5–0. Bayern played at home in the semifinal on 16 April, and beat 1. FC Kaiserslautern 5–1. Bayern Munich were without Thiago due to a knee ligament injury. Bastian Schweinsteiger strained a tendon in his left knee, ruling him out. Mario Mandžukić was dropped from the team and did not travel to Berlin. Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski, who had agreed to join Bayern Munich at the end of the season, was excused from some training as a precaution.

Did You Know?

• Bayern Munich won a record 17th DFB-Pokal title in this final.
• The match went to extra time before Bayern scored both goals.
• Dortmund's semifinal was their only home game of the entire cup run.
• Bayern's top scorer Mario Mandžukić was dropped from the team for the final.