Bayern Munich players celebrated in front of empty stands after claiming their 20th DFB-Pokal title on Saturday.
The team showed their domestic dominance by beating Bayer 04 Leverkusen 4-2 in the country’s first cup final held without supporters present amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is “a bit sad when the fans are missing for such a cup final in such a great stadium,” Bayern forward Thomas Mueller said. “I was thinking about it during the award ceremony. It hurts a bit.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
Bayern, who had already won their eighth straight Bundesliga title, retained the cup with goals from David Alaba, Serge Gnabry and two from Robert Lewandowski as he passed the 50-goal mark for this season.
It was Bayern’s second straight league and cup double and 13th overall. Now Bayern is targeting the reorganized Champions League next month as they bid to repeat the treble-winning season under Jupp Heynckes in 2013.
Leverkusen had been chasing their first title of any sort since 1993, when they last won the DFB-Pokal. Since then they have finished runner-up on nine occasions in different competitions, triggering taunts of “vicekusen” from rivals.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Supporters were excluded from Berlin’s 75,000-capacity Olympiastadion. Only 691 people were allowed, including Germany coach Joachim Low.
Hygiene measures were strict. Normally noisy roads would be teeming with traffic and fans ahead of the German soccer showpiece, but the area was eerily quiet before the game.
Fast-food vendor Sven Grosch was the only one who opened his kiosk to sell sausages, beer and fries. He waited wearily with his arms folded behind his counter as only a trickle of curious onlookers passed by.
“It’s just sad without fans,” Grosch told reporters.
He said he had received state aid to help him overcome the financial hit from the pandemic, “but it’s not sustainable. I hope supporters are allowed back at games sooner rather than later.”
German soccer officials are in talks about allowing a limited number of supporters to games with strict social distancing measures when the new season begins in September.
Bayern dominated from the start and could have been leading by more than two goals at the break.
Alaba broke the deadlock with a brilliant free-kick inside the top-right corner in the 16th minute and Leverkusen were grateful to goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky for blocking Mueller from close range shortly afterward.
Bayern maintained the pressure and Gnabry fired in the second goal in the 24th minute.
Leverkusen looked short of ideas and uncertain. Peter Bosz reacted with two changes at the break, but little seemed to change.
Substitute Kevin Volland should have scored for Leverkusen in the 57th minute, but he missed the ball while attempting to shoot, two minutes before Hradecky allowed Lewandowski’s shot to slip through at the other end.
Leverkusen midfielder Sven Bender pulled a goal back in the 64th minute, prompting a wild phase in which Leverkusen missed more chances.
However, Lewandowski killed off any slim hopes of a comeback with his second goal in the 89th minute. It was his 51st goal across all competitions this season.
Leverkusen star Kai Havertz scored a penalty with the last touch of the game. He did not celebrate.
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