Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen: Winners and Losers from DFB Pokal
Bayern Munich progressed to the DFB-Pokal final on Tuesday as they beat Werder Bremen 2-0 at the Allianz Arena. The result means the Bavarian giants will contend for the title in Berlin for the fourth time in five years.
Thomas Muller put the hosts ahead in the first half with a header from a corner, and the forward completed his brace after the break after Arturo Vidal was controversially awarded a penalty kick. Bremen played hard but ultimately had no response to the hosts' goals.
Following Tuesday's action, B/R reflects on the match, picking out those who fared better and worse over the 90 minutes. Click "Begin Slideshow" for our picks.
Winner: Thomas Muller
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Thomas Muller has always been a big-game player for club and country, and he stepped up to deliver the all-important opener for Bayern on Tuesday night.
With the score deadlocked and Bremen playing well overall, the Germany international headed home from a corner kick.
The goal was Muller's 30th of the season, marking the first time in his career he has reached the impressive tally. He later scored his 31st from the penalty spot, sealing Bayern's progress to the final with 19 minutes left to be played.
With a month of football left to be played this season, we might see many more goals from Muller.
Loser: Clemens Fritz
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In games like Tuesday's, you need your experienced veterans to provide a calm atmosphere and settle your team. Clemens Fritz, Bremen's captain, was unable to do that on Tuesday as he slipped at precisely the wrong moment.
The 35-year-old fell in the first half, allowing Muller time and space to nod home Bayern's opener. Bremen were then left on the back foot, while Bayern were never really forced to get out of first gear. It's a shame for the former Germany international, whose leadership has been very useful for Bremen in the past. But on Tuesday, he left plenty to be desired.
Loser: Tobias Stieler
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Bremen can exit the Pokal with heads held high, but they have legitimate reason to complain about the refereeing decisions Tobias Stieler made on Tuesday night.
It was questionable when Fin Bartels was whistled for a foul on David Alaba in the second half as the Bayern defender botched a clearance and put the ball into his own net. There was contact, but it was precious little. Footballers constantly have their hands on one another, and to make the claim that Alaba's movement was changed to any appreciable degree by Bartels' arm is questionable. The call easily could not have been made.
But questionable became scandalous in the 70th minute, when Arturo Vidal took a clear dive to win a penalty.
It was hard enough for Bremen facing a Bayern team with a wage bill and squad value that dwarfed theirs. Poor refereeing made it impossible for the visitors to make a contest of it.
Loser: Arturo Vidal
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Vidal has to be a loser after Tuesday's game because he lost a lot of respect from many in the football community for his dive.
True, Janek Sternberg's tackle was reckless, and the defender was almost begging to concede a penalty. But Vidal went down without even the slightest bit of contact. He simply fell to the ground, feigning pain as Sternberg slid past in front of him.
Bayern are a great football club with plenty of talent. They win almost every game against German opposition. So it really can be off-putting when their players resort to cheating. Vidal's dive really cast a shadow over an otherwise excellent result for Bayern.
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