Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes had begun with an identical line-up to that which demolished Hertha Berlin 6-0 over the weekend, whilst Gladbach's Lucien Favre made only one change, opting for 21-year-old Tony Jantschke at right back over Roel Brouwers, pushing Martin Stranzl into a central defensive role.

One might have thought that Bayern would enter this game gung-ho and full of confidence after a raft of impressive victories in recent weeks; but it was a markedly more cautious visiting team that graced the park. Gladbach, meanwhile, playing before a 54,000-strong home crowd, were also slow to get going but were nonetheless buoyed by such vocal support.

Even armwrestle

Both teams set a good tempo, with the Bayern offense, consisting of Mario Gomez, Thomas Müller, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, pushing somewhat higher up-field to distort possession in their team's favor.

This meant Bayern had the better of the opening exchanges, with Tony Kroos hitting the left post in the 5th minute with a grounded shot from outside the box, and a Mario Gomez header forcing a classic diving save from Gladbach keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the 15th minute after he latched onto a cross from the right flank from captain Philipp Lahm.

Gladbach young gun Marco Reus had an opportunity in the 20th minute after being put through in the box by Roman Neustädter, but the Borussia Dortmund-bound 22-year-old's shot was blocked by Bayern goalie Manuel Neuer in a close-range one-on-one.

A slight sloppiness about Gladbach's play saw them forfeit possession a number of times in their defensive third - almost as though their collective effort to play composed football had been slightly overdone.

Robben, who was jeered with every touch of the ball throughout the match, was gifted a chance in the 39th minute when Ribery made his way down the left and sent a low ball into the middle. The Dutchman, positioned six meters directly in front of goal, blasted his resultant shot over the bar and walked away with his head in his hands.

Bayern should have justifiably felt that a continuation of their approach to the game would see them eventually bag a goal. Gladbach, meanwhile, appeared overly cautious and all too happy to play on the counter, a mistake made by Bayern's three most recent opponents: Hertha Berlin (6-0 losers), FC Basel (7-0 losers) and Hoffenheim (7-1 losers). Gladbach goal machines Reus and Venezuelan flanker Juan Arango would surely need to show more of the confidence, speed and guile that has helped take their team to third place in the Bundesliga standings this season.

Second-half stalemate

Both teams may have had the same idea in the second half - to push further up the field - and both were nearly rewarded with goals within the first five minutes. The first saw a cheeky exchange between Müller and Robben in the Gladbach box, only for Robben to force his shot wide just meters from goal. The second, directly on the counter, saw Reus in a one-on-one with Neuer before he went wide and crossed the ball back into the middle. It came to an open Arango, whose shot from near the penalty spot whistled over the bar.

Right-wing Oscar Wendt made way for Patrick Herrmann in the 60th minute, whilst Stranzl was forced to the bench after sustaining what appeared to be a groin injury. The Austrian, who had worked tirelessly keeping Mario Gomez under wraps, was replaced by Brouwers in defense.

Despite losing Stranzl, the Gladbach back-four were solid in their efforts to contain the Bayern attack: Dante was a rock whilst Jantschke was a fair match for Ribery and Daems able to do enough to pacify Robben. Favre brought Belgian Igor de Camargo on in place of the ineffective Mike Hanke in the 75th with the hope of injecting some verve into the Gladbach attack and it almost paid immediate dividends.

Gladbach had perhaps their best chance of the second half to go a goal ahead in the 83rd minute when a smart one-two between de Camargo and Arango down the right near the halfway line sent the latter down the flank. Arango sent a long, low ball into the middle on the edge of the box where an onrushing and unmarked Reus was free on goal, only for a charging Neuer to get there first and lock the ball up. Had Reus been a step faster, or Neuer a step slower, Gladbach would have been a goal to the good. Alas, neither team managed to net and the game was sent to extra time.

Heartbreaking shootout

Heynckes had waited until nearly 100 minutes of football had been played before making a substitute, eventually bringing Gomez off in favor of Croatian Ivica Olic, who had clocked only around 260 minutes on the park coming into this game. At the beginning of the second half of extra time, the Bayern coach then brought off Müller and replaced him with a man with even less game time this season in Nils Petersen. By this point, however, both teams had become passive, with few runs off the ball and little initiative by way of build-up play. And so came the penalty shootout.

Both teams netted their first two attempts, until Dante stepped up to the plate. The Brazilian sent his shot left and clear over the bar. Next for Gladbach was Nordtveit. The Norwegian hit his shot straight down the middle for Neuer to get a loose foot to it to deflect it away from goal, sending Bayern through to the Cup final to be played May 12 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

Author: Darren Mara
Editor: Richard Connor