Goalkeeper saves three penalties
“Fantastic” Grohs catapulted FC Bayern into the cup final
March 31, 2024, 8:47 p.m
The DFB Cup has the final of the giants: For the first time since 2018, the series winners VfL Wolfsburg and FC Bayern face each other. The Munich women benefit from a great goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs in the game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The German champions from Bayern Munich followed VfL Wolfsburg into the final of the DFB Cup thanks to goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs and made their first dream final since 2018 perfect. The Munich team won their semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 on penalties. After 120 and 90 minutes the score was 1:1 (1:1). The day before, the She Wolves made it to the final for the tenth time in a row with a 9-0 win against SGS Essen.
“Of course I’ve never experienced anything like that, that’s really cool,” said Grohs, who parried three of Frankfurt’s four attempts in the decision from the point, on ARD. Pernille Harder converted the decisive penalty. Georgia Stanway had previously given Bayern an early lead with a hand penalty (4th), but Geraldine Reuteler (18th) quickly equalized with a fantastic volley for the SGE.
“It was a crazy game, as always against Frankfurt,” said Bayern coach Alexander Straus on Sky and added with regard to heroine Grohs: “She often plays exceptionally, she is fantastic. Not just with the penalties, her overall calmness, she has been very good for a very long time.”
Furious start with a penalty
The signs are good for the Bayern women’s second cup win after 2012; in the league there was a 4-0 win in the prestigious duel against Wolfsburg a week ago. In the last final between the two teams in 2018, however, series winner Wolfsburg prevailed 3-2 on penalties.
The game got off to an exciting start in front of the new national coach Christian Wück, DFB sports director Nia Künzer and Bayern President Herbert Hainer. After three minutes, national player Sara Doorsoun clearly blocked a cross from Jovana Damnjanovic with her arm. Referee Riem Hussein overlooked the offense, but after a tip from the lines judge gave the penalty, which Stanway converted.
But the Frankfurt team reacted courageously and were strong in duels, Reuteler scored a Sunday shot from the edge of the penalty area to equalize. Bayern missed taking the lead again with a header from Schüller (23′) and a shot from Damnjanovic (36′). Until the penalty shootout, neither Bayern nor Eintracht managed to score the winning goal.