German Cup: Bayern Munich In Semi-Final Without Lewandowski

Bayern Munich proved they can do the business without Robert
Lewandowski, as Joshua Kimmich delivered the goods in Gelsenkirchen.

The result
puts the defending champions into the draw for the semifinals.

Bayern Munich booked their
place in the final four of the German Cup with a 1-0 win at Schalke.

Schalke had created the best
chances in the first half, with Alessandro Schöpf and Guido Burgstaller both
going close, with the latter seeing his shot bounce off the bar.

But that was as close as
Schalke got, and Bayern’s dominance was finally rewarded five minutes before
the break, when Joshua Kimmich drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box
after Schalke failed to fully clear Phillipe Coutinho’s corner.

Coutinho came close to scoring
a fine goal when his dipping drive from distance hit the bar and Leon Goretzka
should have wrapped up the win when his free header somehow drifted wide.
Schalke coach David Wagner decided to drop Bayern-bound keeper Alexander Nübel,
and his deputy Markus Schubert pulled off a string of key saves.

At the other end, Schalke
should have leveled through Benito Raman, who was fresh off the bench when he
couldn’t finish a rapid counterattack led by Rabbi Matondo.

But that was as good as it got
for Schalke, as Bayern held firm to progress.