Borussia Dortmund are through to the DFB Cup Final in Berlin after beating Bayern München 3-1 on penalties on Tuesday evening. After the enthralling match in the Allianz Arena, DFB.de caught up with Dortmund’s World Champion Mats Hummels and spoke about Bayern missing all their penalties, emotions after the game and the final in Berlin.
Question: Mats Hummels, you’ve just secured an unbelievably emotional victory over FC Bayern on penalties in the semi-final of the DFB Cup. What were the celebrations like in the Dortmund changing room?
Mats Hummels: Everyone was happy and relieved that we now have the opportunity to get something positive out of this season. It got louder in the changing room from time to time when a good song came on. We have two, three players, who like to sing and create an atmosphere. It’s simply a fantastic evening.
Question: The entire match was a rollercoaster ride. Things weren’t going well for you and BVB in the first half and you fell behind to ex-Dortmund player Robert Lewandowski’s goal.
Hummels: It wasn’t a great performance in the first half, even though we were alright defensively. Bayern were superior but apart from the goal and another Lewy goal scoring opportunity, they didn’t create much. Lewy hit the crossbar, Thiago also had a good chance. We changed our system at half time and were clearly much better at dealing with the threats Bayern posed in the second 45. We had better control of the game in midfield and then managed to level the game.
Question: Ahead of the semi-final, how did you rate your chances? Did you believe that you could make it through to the final?
Hummels: I definitely thought that we were in with a real shout. We knew that we’d always have a chance against Bayern. We’ve always had tight, close and exciting matches against them in the past.
Question: What was the turning point in the game?
Borussia Dortmund are through to the DFB Cup Final in Berlin after beating Bayern München 3-1 on penalties on Tuesday evening. After the enthralling match in the Allianz Arena, DFB.de caught up with Dortmund’s World Champion Mats Hummels and spoke about Bayern missing all their penalties, emotions after the game and the final in Berlin.
Question: Mats Hummels, you’ve just secured an unbelievably emotional victory over FC Bayern on penalties in the semi-final of the DFB Cup. What were the celebrations like in the Dortmund changing room?
Mats Hummels: Everyone was happy and relieved that we now have the opportunity to get something positive out of this season. It got louder in the changing room from time to time when a good song came on. We have two, three players, who like to sing and create an atmosphere. It’s simply a fantastic evening.
Question: The entire match was a rollercoaster ride. Things weren’t going well for you and BVB in the first half and you fell behind to ex-Dortmund player Robert Lewandowski’s goal.
Hummels: It wasn’t a great performance in the first half, even though we were alright defensively. Bayern were superior but apart from the goal and another Lewy goal scoring opportunity, they didn’t create much. Lewy hit the crossbar, Thiago also had a good chance. We changed our system at half time and were clearly much better at dealing with the threats Bayern posed in the second 45. We had better control of the game in midfield and then managed to level the game.
Question: Ahead of the semi-final, how did you rate your chances? Did you believe that you could make it through to the final?
Hummels: I definitely thought that we were in with a real shout. We knew that we’d always have a chance against Bayern. We’ve always had tight, close and exciting matches against them in the past.
Question: What was the turning point in the game?
Hummels: At half time and shortly after the break, it wasn’t looking too good for us. In the period after we made it 1-1, I think we showed that we deserved to score the equaliser. From the 60th minute onwards, we were completely in our stride and delivered a solid performance. We did what was necessary. It was undoubtedly a cup fight, which is exactly what the fans love to see. It’s then even nicer to leave the pitch victorious. You have to play good football against Bayern otherwise, you don’t stand a chance because they’re able to keep possession for 80 minutes and you’re just chasing the game. We managed to get between the lines well. When Henrikh Mkhitaryan entered the fray, he played really well and upped the tempo. They were the decisive moments.
Question: What did you make of the decisive penalty shootout?
Hummels: It was bizarre that both Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso slipped and failed to hit the target.
Question: When the side were 2-0 up, you also missed your penalty.
Hummels: I’ve taken worse penalties before. I’ll get over it – the result could have been different though.
Question: Is the victory particularly special for Jürgen Klopp because he’ll now bring his time managing BVB to a close with a final in Berlin?
Hummels: Not only for the manager, also for us. We now want to round off the manager’s time here on a high. We now have the chance to finish higher up in the league and are in the cup final. It’s certainly not what we would have expected half a year ago.
Question: Who are you hoping to face in the final? Third division Arminia Bielefeld or the favourites VfL Wolfsburg?
Hummels: We’re not hoping for a particular opponent. Of course, Wolfsburg are considered stronger. Bielefeld have already defeated Bremen and Gladbach, which really impressed everyone.
Question: Would it be fair to say that you’ve just overcome the biggest hurdle in progressing to the final and moving a step closer to getting your hands on the cup?
Hummels: We’ve just knocked out Germany’s strongest team. We’re going to assume that we’ll probably face Wolfsburg in the final. Bielefeld could also obviously pull off another cup shock; however, I think that Wolfsburg are too strong and stable to be swept aside. I did also think that about Gladbach though. We’ll have to wait and see who our opponents will be. Whoever we face, the final will be fantastic and I hope that we can lift the cup.
