Bayern is back on top, boasts Hoeness

Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness said the Bavarian giant again proved it is Germany's top team after beating rival Borussia Dortmund 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the German Cup.

Wednesday's Cup clash was a repeat of last year's final - when Dortmund romped to a 5-2 win in Berlin - but Arjen Robben's thunderbolt strike two minutes from the break broke Bayern's six-match winless streak against Borussia.

This was the clash of Germany's titans - Bayern Munich, 17 points clear in the Bundesliga against defending league champion and Cup holder Dortmund, which has dominated the top tier of German soccer for the past two years.

February 2010 had been the occasion of Bayern's previous league or Cup win over Dortmund, but Robben's rocket was enough to put Munich in the last four in front of 71,000 at Munich's Allianz Arena.

"We have proved with this result that we are the strongest team in Germany," boasted Hoeness after the final whistle.

"We thoroughly deserved to beat Dortmund. You can't get better than the way we played in the last 20 minutes. What we've done has put us back to the top in Germany."

A preseason Supercup final win in Munich last August had been Bayern's only source of comfort against Borussia recently, and Munich's senior figures will relish the Allianz Arena win.

With France wing Franck Ribery suspended, Robben took over on the left wing and seized his chance to show coach Jupp Heynckes what he has been missing after the World Cup finalist has made just four starts in the league all season.

The 29-year-old ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid star sank to his knees and beat the turf in delight at the final whistle.

"It's nothing to do with the past, it's all about now," said Robben when asked if his goal was redemption for previous weeks on the bench.

"It was a top game between not only two of the best teams in Germany, but in Europe and I think I'm allowed to be happy."

(China Daily 03/01/2013 page22)