Under the lights in Leverkusen, the dfb-pokal semifinal felt less like a single match than a decisive turn in Bayern Munich’s season. Harry Kane’s early strike and Luis Diaz’s late finish gave Vincent Kompany’s team a 2-0 win and sent them back to Berlin for the first time since 2020.
How did Bayern control the night?
From the opening minutes, Bayern made clear they were not there to protect an advantage or wait for mistakes. They pressed high, moved the ball quickly, and kept Leverkusen pinned back for long stretches. Mark Flekken had already denied chances from Diaz and Kane before the breakthrough arrived in the 21st minute. A quick move from a throw-in found Jamal Musiala, who helped set up Kane, and the England striker finished under the crossbar.
The goal mattered beyond the scoreline. It was Kane’s seventh goal in the competition and his 52nd in all competitions this season, a number that reflects how central he has become to Bayern’s attack. For the team itself, the dfb-pokal result completed a week that already included an early Bundesliga title celebration, and it kept alive the possibility of a rare season with multiple trophies still within reach.
Why did Leverkusen struggle to respond?
Leverkusen never found any rhythm in the first half. Their build-up was disjointed, their attacks were rare, and Bayern’s pressure repeatedly forced them backwards. By the 25th minute, Flekken had recorded 14 touches, the second-most for his side at that point, a sign of how little the hosts had been able to push play forward. The pattern continued after the break. Robert Andrich had to clear one Bayern effort in danger, Manuel Neuer saved from Nathan Tella, and Patrik Schick headed narrowly wide. But those moments remained isolated.
The wider picture is sharper than one difficult evening. This was Bayern’s third win in three meetings with Leverkusen this season, and the semifinals confirmed how much the balance had shifted on the night. Leverkusen, once the cup holders, never built a sustained answer to the pace and aggression of the visitors. Their only late hope faded when Diaz made the final 2-0 in stoppage time.
What does this mean for Bayern now?
The win sends Bayern into the final in Berlin’s Olympiastadion, where they will face either Stuttgart or Freiburg on 23 May. That means the dfb-pokal is now one step away from becoming part of a bigger chase. Bayern are also still in the Champions League, where Paris Saint-Germain await in the semifinals on 28 April and 6 May. The season has opened multiple doors at once, but the cup route now looks especially tangible.
There is also a human layer to the night. For Kane, Berlin carried a personal memory: his last major game in the city was the European Championship final on 14 July 2024, a 2-1 loss with England against Spain. This time, he leaves with a goal, a place in the final, and a chance to return to the same stadium with a different outcome waiting.
What is changing around the club?
Bayern’s momentum is not only about trophies. It is also about the tone around the team under Vincent Kompany, whose side now looks capable of turning control into results when it matters. The semifinal in Leverkusen showed a team with clarity in possession and purpose without it. That combination can travel, and in knockout football it often decides everything.
For Leverkusen, the defeat closes off their last remaining title path. The summer now carries added uncertainty, including questions around Kasper Hjulmand’s future. For Bayern, the road remains open, and the dfb-pokal win has made Berlin feel less like a destination and more like a checkpoint on a longer run.
