Bayern Slip in Shootout to Set Up Dream Dortmund Cup Finale for Jurgen Klopp

Prior to Tuesday night's DFB-Pokal semi-final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the home fans erected a huge display down one end of the Allianz Arena displaying Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben as Batman and Robin.

The message was simple: We have the star players, and we have the success. Dortmund may have their own double act—Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who have both donned masks of such superheroes this season—but they simply don't compare.

Yet in a manner only football has a habit of possessing, it was the Black and Yellow fans of Dortmund who would be partying late into the night with a late rally and penalty shootout that saw Jurgen Klopp overcome Pep Guardiola's Bavarian giants for the final time before he parts ways with the club this summer.

Despite the juxtaposition of both clubs ahead of the tie, with Bayern being crowned new Bundesliga champions two days before and Dortmund still fighting for a Europa League spot, it was the Westfalenstadion team that went into the game with their heads held the highest.

Klopp's decision to announce his departure in recent weeks had spurred on the former German champions to new heights, with a 3-0 win over Paderborn and a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, offering some much-needed morale to his depleted squad. Add to that the sense that Dortmund had nothing to lose from such a tie in the heart of Munich, and you have a side that were able to play with very little restrictions.

Yet that's not to say that Bayern were dismissive against their greatest domestic foe.

Guardiola had—not for the first time—initially picked a team and tactic that essentially cancelled out the visitors and, as such, forced a first half of very little action upon both sets of fans.

It was a goal from Robert Lewandowski in the 29th minute that caught out a Dortmund side that had ventured beyond the halfway line for the first time on the night. The Polish international, whom Mehdi Benatia played through, managed to outrun a disorderly Dortmund line before chipping Mitch Langerak in goal. The initial attempt failed to find the net, hitting off the post, but the former Dortmund man was on hand to tap in the rebound.

Bayern were in the lead at the halfway point, but neither side looked hell-bent on ensuring their place in the final.

If Guardiola does indeed have one regret from his side's elimination from the Pokal, it will be that they had every opportunity to wrap up the game in the first half before Dortmund were able to regain their thoughts and counter in the second.

Reus and Co. looked like a different side following a heated break with their departing manager and attacked their hosts with the vigour and bravery that was lacking in their first-half display.

However, it wasn't until Klopp brought on Henrikh Mkhitaryan—an inconsistent, selfish player at the best of times throughout this current campaign—in the 71st minute for Shinji Kagawa that the tide truly began to turn.

The Armenian international, tasked with finding a route to goal through the crowded battleground in the centre of the pitch, zipped around the final third for four minutes before he struck gold for his side.

Played in through a smart chipped pass from Jakub Blaszczykowski, the No. 10 placed a one-touch pass across Manuel Neuer's six-yard goal for Aubameyang to tap in at the back post. As soon as Bayern had come to terms with this revitalised opponent, they had conceded a goal and were now on the back foot.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was then brought on to shore up the midfield just eight minutes after the introduction of Robben, as Guardiola attempted to regain control of a game he should have won with ease. Yet it had already gotten away from him.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Just 15 minutes after coming on with high hopes of turning things around, Robben collapsed in pain while Dortmund continued to hit the Bayern goal with wave after wave of half-chances. Klopp's side now had the momentum, and it didn't look as though that was changing.

Aside from a needless red card for Kevin Kampl during extra time, Dortmund looked comfortable on the ball as Klopp smiled and cheered from his technical area. Upon the backdrop of a frustrated and often furious Guardiola just yards away, it was evident which side was now enjoying themselves as both teams headed towards penalties.

What followed next was a moment of history. Not the fact that Dortmund had reached the DFB-Pokal final, nor the fact that Klopp had won his last game against Bayern or even the fact that Guardiola's side had lost any hope of winning a treble.

No, what will truly astound pundits and historians alike for years to come is just how Bayern's four penalty takers managed to all miss any opportunity to score in front of their own fans. In this most important of matches, some of the Bavarian club's biggest stars failed to step up and make the grade.

The aftermath of such a game will, of course, focus on the injury to Robben and a late concussion to Lewandowski, if not criticism for the club's failure to overcome Dortmund. Yet on the night, it was Klopp's side who deserved the plaudits.

Dortmund are through to the final of the DFB-Pokal, where Klopp may yet finish his time at the club with some silverware and a few smiles to remember.

@Sbienkowski