 | « Back to article | Print this article |
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
Dortmund stun Bayern to reach German Cup final
Borussia Dortmund reached the German Cup final for a record fourth successive season after staging a thrilling five-minute, two-goal comeback to stun holders and hosts Bayern Munich 3-2 on Wednesday.
Teenager Ousmane Dembele scored one goal and set up another in a five minute spell in the second half to help Dortmund come back from 2-1 down after having taken a 19th-minute lead through Marco Reus.
"We started well but it is brutally difficult to play attacking football and defend well against Bayern," said scorer Reus.
"We had to believe in us, we talked about it at halftime and we did that. Bayern had the far bigger chances, that's clear, but they did not score and we did."
The game lived up to its billing with both teams playing an attacking game and Dortmund avenging last year's Cup final defeat to Bayern.
The Bavarians have now failed to win any of their last five matches in all competitions and following last week's Champions League exit to Real Madrid, have only the league title to aim for.
"This is extremely bitter and I am very disappointed," said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm, who is retiring at the end of the season. "We wanted a lot more out of it but we did not kill the game off when we could have."
"Now we must digest this and move on."
Three-times winners Dortmund face Eintracht Frankfurt, who edged past Borussia Moenchengladbach on penalties on Tuesday, in the final in Berlin next month.
The visitors looked sharper at the start and pounced on a defensive mistake by defender Javi Martinez in the 19th minute, with Raphael Guerreiro's shot bouncing off the post and Reus sweeping in to score.
The hosts roared back and Martinez made amends for his mistake in the 29th, heading in the equaliser with Bayern playing deep crosses from the wings to stretch the Dortmund defence.
Xabi Alonso delivered a perfect ball for Franck Ribery on the left in the 41st and the Frenchman found Mats Hummels whose low drive put them ahead against his former club.
Bayern hit the woodwork in the second half through Arjen Robben and should have added at least one more goal after missing several more chances with the Dortmund defence completely overrun.
But the visitors carved out an unlikely equaliser when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, lurking at the far post, nodded in a perfect Dembele cross in the 69th.
The 19-year-old France international scored the winner five minutes later, curling a superb shot past keeper Sven Ulreich to complete a quick break after Lahm had lost possession.
PSG sweep aside weakened Monaco team to reach Cup final
Holders Paris St Germain reached the French Cup final with a thumping 5-0 home win against a weakened Monaco side in a one-sided last-four clash.
Julian Draxler, Edinson Cavani, Blaise Matuidi, Marquinhos and a Safwan Mbae own goal kept PSG on course to win a third straight Cup title.
They will take on Angers, who beat En Avant Guingamp 2-0 on Tuesday, in the May 27 showdown at the Stade de France.
With a Champions League semi-final first leg against Juventus looming next week, Monaco started with four players making their professional debuts and only three -- Valere Germain, Andrea Raggi and Irvin Cardona -- having made regular first-team appearances.
PSG coach Unai Emery fielded his strongest team with Uruguay striker Cavani up front, supported by German midfielder Draxler and Argentine winger Di Maria.
The hosts took a deserved lead in the 26th minute when Morgan De Sanctis parried away Di Maria's shot into the path of Draxler, who tapped in.
Cavani doubled the lead five minutes later with a clever backheel from Di Maria's cross against an overwhelmed Monaco side.
Monaco never recovered and things got worse when Mbae turned a Di Maria cross into his own net before Matuidi added another two minutes later, latching onto yet another Di Maria centre.
Centre back Marquinhos wrapped it up in the last minute.
