Double on the horizon: Kane & Diaz find solution for impressive Flekken and send Bayern to Cup final
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 22.04.26. | 23:49
The Bavarians beat Leverkusen 2-0 in a game whose central figure was Bayer's goalkeeper
Three days ago, Bayern Munich won their 35th Bundesliga title, and today they advanced to the German Cup (DFB Pokal) final for the first time in the last six years, beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 in the semis.
Even though the result doesn’t indicate it, the Bavarians absolutely dismantled the rivals, and the only thing they lacked was more goals. All thanks to one man - the home team’s keeper Mark Flekken.
The Dutchman was tremendous in Lever’s goal, pulling off some massive saves and annoying Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz, and Co. In the end, he racked up eight saves but failed to do anything in the 22nd minute, when Bayern’s #9 netted the crucial goal, and in the third minute of added time, when their Colombian sealed the deal.
Leverkusen made their maiden attempt only in the 52nd minute and were rather subpar. Based on their performance at BayArena tonight, they didn’t deserve anything but a more convincing defeat, as their display wasn’t worthy of the Cup semi-finals.
Vincent kompany and the Bayern Munich players are on the right track for a treble this season.
— Abidabi (@blackveron) April 22, 2026
The win tonight put Bayern in the cup final whilst still in the Champions League semifinal and have already won the Bundesliga at the weekend. pic.twitter.com/2ARndAalNH
Even though it was the German Cup semi-final clash, from the start of the match, pretty much only one team existed on the pitch. As you can assume, it was Bayern.
The Bavarians went for the opener from the first referee's whistle, but had a worthy opponent embodied in the Leverkusen custodian Mark Flekken.
The Dutchman was outstanding, stopping the efforts of Dayot Upamecano, Luis Diaz, Harry Kane, and Konrad Laimer, all in the opening 20 minutes.
However, even the 32-year-old was omnipotent, as the visitors at last broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute through the incredible Kane, who crowned Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala's action with an easy finish, maintaining his fantastic run, scoring at least one goal in each round of the current edition of the Cup.
Vincent Kompany's men weren't satisfied with only one goal in the rivals' net, pursuing the second until the break, but weren't lucky enough to double their lead.
In the first 45 minutes, Flekken faced 10 shots and had four saves, while his teammates failed to make a single attempt towards Manuel Neuer's goal. That spoke volumes.
The same story continued after the break, as Musiala had a colossal chance just four minutes into the second half, but Robert Andrich deprived him of a goal with a terrific goal-line clearance.
Leverkusen's first attempt came only in the 52nd minute, when Nathan Tella's long-range strike forced Neuer to react. However, it was only a brief pause for Flekken, whose heroics continued shortly after, with two massive stops following Josip Stanisic and Kane's shots.
Mark Flekken stops Harry Kane in a one-on-one situation (©AFP)In the final stage of the match, Kompany opted for a more cautious approach, allowing Lever to control the game. Still, Kasper Hjulmand's men had no idea of how to exploit it, as if they had settled for a defeat, which eventually became more convincing, as Diaz doubled the visitors' lead in the 93rd minute.
The other semi-final clash will be played tomorrow between Stuttgart and Freiburg, while the grand final is scheduled for May 23 in Berlin. Bayern have already booked their place and the Cup trophy could secure them the double. The Champions League trophy and the eventual treble is still a distant dream.
DFB POKAL - SEMIFINALS
Wednesday
Bayer Leverkusen - Bayern Munich 0-2 (0-1)
/Kane 22, Diaz 90+3/
Thursday
21.45: (1.65) Stuttgart (4.10) Freiburg (4.90)
***odds are subject to change***