Robben, Pizarro fire Bayern into Cup's third round
BERLIN (AFP) –
Bayern Munich’s Dutch midfielder Arjen Robben (R) and Kaiserslautern’s Danish defender Leon Jessen (L) challenge for the ball during the German football cup second round match between FC Bayern Munich and 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the stadium in Munich, southern Germany. Bayern Munich won 4-0.
Bayern Munich reached the third round of the German Cup on Wednesday with a 4-0 win over second division Kaiserslautern as Peru striker Claudio Pizarro and Dutch star Arjen Robben both scored twice.
Bayern bounced back from their 2-1 Bundesliga defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday — to end their eighth match winning-streak in the league — with a second-string side.
“4-0 looked easy, but it wasn’t and I’m proud of the boys. We worked well together,” said stand-in captain Robben with stars Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger rested.
Spanish international Javi Martinez dropped into defence to play centre-back alongside Germany’s Jerome Boateng with 18-year-old Emre Can starting in midfield.
Pizarro grabbed the first goal after 11 minutes after some good build-up play from Robben, who added the second on 49 minutes after a pass from Pizarro.
The Peru veteran, who turned 34 earlier this month, bagged his second of the game with a header on 58 minutes before setting up Robben for the fourth with 88 minutes gone.
Leverkusen needed an extra-time goal by Germany midfielder Andre Schuerrle to seal a 3-2 win at Arminia Bielefeld, while fellow Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart had few problems in their 3-0 win at home to Hamburg-based St Pauli.
Wolfsburg enjoyed a 2-0 win over second division FSV Frankfurt while Hanover 96 needed a shoot-out to beat second-division Dynamo Dresden 4-3 on penalties after it finished 1-1 after extra time.
Angola striker Rafael Nando scored an extra-time goal against his former club to seal Fortuna Duesseldorf’s 1-0 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach in the only all-Bundesliga tie of the round.
On Tuesday, holders Borussia Dortmund booked their place in the third round with a 4-1 win at second-division VfR Aalen
Dortmund’s Germany defenders Mats Hummels and left-back Marcel Schmelzer as well as midfielder Mario Goezte all got on the scoresheet.
Schalke 04 also made light work of second-division opposition as the Royal Blues enjoyed a 3-0 win at home to SV Sandhausen.
Dutch midfielder Ibrahim Afellay put the hosts ahead on 11 minutes before a spectacular bicycle kick from Romania striker Ciprian Marica on 62 minutes doubled the hosts lead at the Veltins Arena.
Holland striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar netted the third on 79 minutes.
Bundesliga duo Freiburg and Augsburg eased their way into Saturday’s draw with wins at second-division sides Braunschweig and Muenster respectively.