Confidence Sets Bayern Munich Apart from Borussia Dortmund in DFB-Pokal Win

In many ways, Saturday's DFB-Pokal final was predictable based on the recent history between its contestants, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

On the whole, regular time played out similarly to how it did in their Bundesliga meeting earlier this spring, which ended in a scoreless draw. BVB matched the German record champions in the first half but looked too nervous to finish and lost their momentum after the break. Bayern looked superior in the second half but were denied by some good last-ditch defending.

The Bundesliga fixture ended in a scoreless draw, and there was a point midway through the second half of the Pokal final when it looked crystal clear that Bayern would either win via a flourish of individual brilliance or the match would go to penalties. A world-class effort was not forthcoming, so the clubs went to a shootout.

Perhaps Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel wanted to play the lottery from the penalty spot, knowing his BVB were underdogs from free play. The scoreless Bundesliga draw seemed to be a preview of his tactics in the probable event of a meeting between the two sides in the Pokal; he approached the league game seemingly more concerned with avoiding defeat than trying to claim the three points that would have at least given his side some hope of winning the Bundesliga.

It was more the kind of strategy expected from a trainer in an elimination tournament, and surely enough, he took a similar approach on Saturday with a conservative lineup and extremely well-organized defense.

Perhaps a cautious approach was Tuchel's best bet, but it wasn't one with favorable odds. After failing to take the lead during the spell in which they had been at least as good as Bayern in attack, Dortmund weren't going to score. And the likelihood of a win in penalties was more improbable than one might expect.

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La séance de pénalty #Bayern #Dortmund #Pokal#Neuer #Vidal #Lewandowski #Müller #Kimmich #Costahttps://t.co/TPSXw4XUBA

— Mr. Bayern (@MonsieurBayern) May 21, 2016"

It's easy to see why Bayern's Manuel Neuer, for several years regarded by many as the world's best goalkeeper, would be exceedingly difficult to beat compared to the good but far less celebrated BVB stopper Roman Burki.

But that wasn't all. There was a certain confidence about Bayern that has been consistent throughout the season, and it was enough to see them to victory. Thomas Muller was a perfect example as he took Bayern's fourth kick; with pressure weighing following Joshua Kimmich's miss, the forward stared at Burki and never for a moment glanced at the ball or his target as he fired into the top-left corner.

The Bavarians scored with four of their five penalties, showing confidence and calmness.

Dortmund were a bit of a mess by comparison. Their second and third penalty-takers were Sven Bender and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, both central defenders who failed to score. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, arguably the club's player of the season, didn't even take an attempt. Nor did midfield technician Julian Weigl.

Just as they lacked the conviction to put the ball in the net during regular time, many BVB stars seemed to suffer from a lack of confidence on Saturday and left the penalties to the brave but far less competent defenders. Bayern can relate, having lost the 2012 UEFA Champions League final after missing chance after chance during the game and having required Neuer to step up to the spot in the absence of bravery from the likes of Arjen Robben and Toni Kroos.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

Bayern's pain in 2012 was a growing experience, and a year later, many of the same players who failed to step up against Chelsea played a huge role in their treble-winning 2012-13 campaign. They had overcome the confidence barrier, and many of those players showed great personal conviction for Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

That same confidence also saw Bayern remain calm and collected in the Champions League this season, completing an improbable comeback against Juventus in the final minutes of regular time and nearly downing Atletico Madrid when they seemed against the ropes.

Tuchel's side made some good comebacks in the Bundesliga, but his men were less of the mentality monster type in big games. Liverpool showed as much when they overturned a deficit late in the clubs' Europa League meeting, and Bayern kept BVB scoreless for 210 minutes in the Bundesliga and Pokal this spring, knowing they more likely than not would prevail if only they kept their opponents goalless.

It wasn't a beautiful win for Bayern on Saturday, but the result was enough to justify how it was earned. And having different ways to win, even if that's simply having confidence and cooler nerves to make the difference in penalties, can be the difference between a side that does well only when things go their way and one that wins in any scenario.

Dortmund hardly put a foot wrong all season, but they did on occasion, and Bayern more often had an answer when things went wrong. Their mentality made the difference on Saturday, and that's why they are double winners.

@Mr_Bundesliga