DFB Pokal

Turkish midfielder Cenk Sahin has been released by Bundesliga 2 side St. Pauli after showing his support for Turkey's military actions in Syria:

The 25-year-old posted a photograph on Instagram of the Turkish flag with a caption expressing support for Turkey's invasion of Kurdish-held regions in Syria, according to the Daily Sabah. 

Turkey's Operation Peace Spring was launched Wednesday and is aimed at eliminating Kurdish forces along the border and resettling Syrian refugees.

The German side explained their decision to release the 25-year-old in a statement posted on their official club website:

"The internal review of Cenk Sahin's Instagram post on the deployment of the Turkish army in Syria has been completed. After further talks between club officials and the player, Cenk Sahin has been released from his training and playing duties with immediate effect. The prime factors in reaching the decisions were his repeated disregard for the club’s values and the need to protect the player."

"After numerous discussions with fans, members and friends whose roots lie in Turkey, it has become clear to us that we cannot and should not attempt to gauge nuances in perceptions and attitudes from other cultural backgrounds in detail. That we reject acts of war is not open to doubt or discussion, however. These acts, and the expression of solidarity with them, run counter to the values of the club."

The club also added that Sahin's contract with St. Pauli remains "valid" but he has been given permission to train and play for other teams.

Sahin's Instagram post drew criticism from supporters, who accused the midfielder of being a "war-supporter," per the Daily Sabah.

ESPN's Eren Sarigul offered his thoughts on St. Pauli's decision to release Sahin:

Sahin joined St. Pauli from Istanbul Basaksehir in 2017 after a loan spell with the club. Although he has been granted permission to play for another club he will be unable to secure a move until the winter transfer window reopens.

German football faces a culture clash as RB Leipzig prepare to contest their first DFB-Pokal final on Saturday against Bayern Munich, the most decorated club in the competition's history.

Leipzig held Bayern to a 0-0 stalemate when these teams met in the Bundesliga earlier in May, and Die Roten will again be particularly motivated to beat German football's new boys and claim their 17th title.

Sunday's duel will be Ralf Rangnick's last game in charge of Leipzig before Hoffenheim's Julian Nagelsmann takes over this summer. He'll want to sign off his second stint by making DFB-Pokal history at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. 

Date: Saturday, May 25

Time: 7 p.m. BST/2 p.m. ET

Venue: Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany

Live Stream: German Football YouTube channel

Odds

RB Leipzig: 5-1

Draw: 10-3

Bayern Munich: 1-2

Via Oddschecker.com.

Preview

Bayern signed off an admirable title comeback by hammering Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the final week to stave off the threat posed by Borussia Dortmund and clinch their seventh Bundesliga crown in a row.

Kovac brought Die Roten back from despair earlier in the campaign to end his maiden season at their helm with at least one major title.

The DFB-Pokal has been similarly treacherous for even the giants at times, and Bayern had to squeak their way past Werder Bremen and second-division Heidenheim to get to this point, via German Football:

Bayern are unbeaten in 11 matches travelling to the capital and have won eight of those, losing only two matches in all competitions since the last week of November.

Kovac could sign off his first Bayern term with two trophies in tow, and despite their exit in the UEFA Champions League last 16, the coach believes he's done enough for a second term, per DW Sports:

As well as Rangnick, this could also be star striker Timo Werner's last game in Leipzig colours. The Germany international has only one year remaining on his contract.

Bayern have been touted as the most interested suitors for some time, and Rangnick recently acknowledged the player could depart, per Goal's Ronan Murphy:

The Bulls have also been through their share of drama en route to the final and had to rely on a 120th-minute penalty winner from Marcel Halstenberg to make it past Augsburg in the quarter-finals:

Leipzig rested a host of first-team names for their final match of the Bundesliga season—a 2-1 defeat to Werder—so they could be ready for Sunday. Kevin Kampl, Marcel Sabitzer, Emil Forsberg, Lukas Klostermann, Ibrahima Konate, Willi Orban and Halstenberg all sat out that loss.

Bayern will hope to have goalkeeper Manuel Neuer back from a calf injury, while Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery will each hope for minutes off the bench before they leave the club this summer.

Eintracht Frankfurt stunned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Saturday as they won the DFB-Pokal final 3-1 thanks to a brace from Ante Rebic. 

The Croatian striker opened the scoring just 11 minutes into the game after he capitalised on a mistake by James Rodriguez.

Robert Lewandowski levelled after the break, but Rebic looked to have won it on 82 minutes after he latched onto a long ball upfield and outran Mats Hummels and Niklas Sule before firing home.

Bayern were denied a penalty in stoppage time after Javi Martinez went down after a tackle by Kevin-Prince Boateng. There appeared to be clear contact between the two, but the video assistant referee was consulted, a corner was awarded instead.

Frankfurt then sealed the win with a breakaway goal from Mijat Gacinovic, who raced clear and rolled the ball into an empty net after Bayern had thrown everybody, including goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, forward in search of an equaliser.

Bayern's underwhelming season ends with a whimper

Bayern Munich may have won the Bundesliga title for a sixth consecutive season, but this has been a disappointing season for the Bavarian giants.

Carlo Ancelotti was fired in September 2017 after a heavy 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League, and their European campaign ended with a semi-final loss to Real Madrid.

The club had the chance to end the season with a domestic double against a team they beat 4-1 in the league less than a month ago, yet they failed.

Bayern can point to two chances that hit the frame of the goal and a controversial late penalty decision denied, but they'll be glad to see the back of this campaign.

Kovac shows he's a smart choice by Bayern

Niko Kovac will take charge of Bayern Munich next season, and he will take on the job having shown them exactly what he can do by upsetting the odds to lift the trophy against his future employers.

The 46-year-old was not the most obvious choice to replace Jupp Heynckes, but he has done a fine job at Frankfurt, and winning the DFB-Pokal final against a team of Bayern's stature is an admirable achievement.

Football writer Jonathan Harding was impressed with the Croatian:

Kovac will have his work cut out at Bayern next season, but he looks a smart bet by the German giants. 

More VAR controversy

VAR played a role in two key decisions in the game.

The first was for a handball by Boateng in the build-up to Frankfurt's second goal that was deemed accidental before the penalty incident with Martinez late on.

Goal's Robin Bairner said it was a clear penalty:

There was clear contact between the two players, but it was not enough to convince referee Felix Zwayer. 

Rebic stars as Kovac gets selection spot-on

Frankfurt have been without Rebic in recent weeks due to injury, but Kovac had no hesitation in putting him into the starting lineup.

He was rewarded with an impressive performance by the Croatian, who scored twice and caused problems for the Bayern defence throughout the game.

Football writer Michael Yokhin tipped him to impress at the FIFA World Cup 2018:

Credit must also go to Kovac for the way he set his team up against Bayern and their game plan. The team pressed well, were aggressive and took their chances when they came.

Bayern have to cut out costly mistakes

Bayern Munich have been guilty of some high-profile errors this season, and it was the same story on Saturday.

Their Champions League hopes were ended against Real Madrid after they gifted Los Blancos goals in both legs of their semi-final clash.

On Saturday Rodriguez was the guilty man; he gave the ball away to allow Rebic to race forward and slot home the opener.

The early goal gave Frankfurt added belief that they could pull off a shock and made Bayern chase the game.

Kimmich's the best right-back in the world

Joshua Kimmich may have ended up on the losing side, but the 23-year-old proved once again just what a brilliant right-back he is.

The defender was an attacking threat and claimed yet another assist for Lewandowki's goal. As shown by Bayern's Twitter account, he's now been involved in 24 goals this season, which is a superb effort from a full-back:

Football writer Cristian Nyari thinks he's the best in the world in his position:

The youngster is proving to be the perfect successor to Philipp Lahm, and at just 23 years old he can only get better as he becomes more experienced.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will hope to complete a domestic double on Saturday, when they face Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB-Pokal final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Jupp Heynckes' side won the title by 21 points and lost just four games on their way to a sixth consecutive league crown.

They will be hot favourites to win on Saturday but face an Frankfurt team managed by Niko Kovac, who will replace Heynckes in the Bayern hotseat in July.

Date: Saturday, May 19

Time: 7 p.m. BST, 2 p.m. ET

TV Info: BT Sport 3 (UK), ESPN Deportes (U.S.)

Live Stream: BT Sport website

Kovac Needs to Impress Future Employers

Bayern revealed in April that Kovac would replace Heynckes, but he has done little to impress either his current or future employers since the announcement.

Frankfurt may have beaten Bundesliga runners-up Schalke to book their place in the final, but they lost four of their last five league games and finished eighth, outside of the European spaces.

One of those defeats was a 4-1 loss to a much-changed Bayern side at the Allianz Arena. Heynckes had rested most of his regulars ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid, but they still cruised to victory over Kovac's men.

Frankfurt sporting director Bruno Hubner was forced to respond to speculation Kovac could be sacked after the poor run and said he would stay at the club until the end of the season, per Stephan Uersfeld at ESPN FC.

A win for Frankfurt on Saturday would help Kovac's cause. Frankfurt would qualify for the Europa League with a victory, and while it would deprive Bayern of a double, it would show his new club's supporters he has what it takes to overcome the odds and win trophies.

Lewandowski Needs a Big Performance

Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski picked up his sixth Bundesliga title this season and also comfortably finished the campaign as the league's top scorer:

Yet the Champions League continues to elude him, and there is an uneasiness around the striker at the club. Mark Lovell at ESPN FC showed how supporters have reacted to Lewandowski lately:

The Poland international has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, but those talks have broken down and the Bavarians expect him to stay, according to Sky Sports News.

Lewandowski has come in for criticism for his performances in Europe after seeing his goals dry up, as shown by Squawka Football:

There has also been friction with Heynckes after Lewandowski refused to shake his manager's hand when substituted against Cologne. The Bayern manager said he "did not find it funny at all," per Lovell.

Saturday's final is Heynckes' last game in charge of Bayern, and he will want to sign off with a win. Lewandowski looks destined to stay at the club, and a big performance would help answer his critics.

Borussia Dortmund booked their spot in the 2016 DFB Pokal final with a win over Hertha BSC on Wednesday, beating the Berliners 3-0 at their home ground of Olympiastadion Berlin.

Gonzalo Castro gave the visitors the lead with a stunning shot in the first half, and while Hertha had a number of chances to tie things up, Dortmund always seemed more likely to win. Marco Reus scored a second goal to liberate his team, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan put the final score on the board late in the second half.

Dortmund will play rivals Bayern Munich in the final of this year's DFB Pokal.

As shared by BVB’s official Twitter account, star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang didn’t make the starting XI or the bench for this semi-final:

The home fans stole the show before the start of the match, and Football Mumble was kind enough to share this short clip of the atmosphere inside the iconic Olympiastadion:

Hertha Berlin fans tonight. #Bouncingpic.twitter.com/AWm2Shq9tM

— Football Mumble (@FootballMumble) April 20, 2016

Dortmund started the contest well, with Shinji Kagawa pulling the strings in midfield. The Japan international caused plenty of trouble early with a sharp cross, which Hertha struggled to clear.

The visitors dominated possession early, but a free-kick from Marvin Plattenhardt nearly provided the hosts with their first real chance.

The absence of Aubameyang clearly had an impact on the Dortmund attack, as replacement Adrian Ramos doesn’t bring the same dynamic threat. With less space available in the attacking third, the likes of Reus and Kagawa found it difficult to break down the Hertha defence early.

Ramos nearly burst through on goal after 13 minutes, but John Anthony Brooks spotted the danger and made a key tackle at the right time. The Colombian then put pressure on goalkeeper Rune Almenning Jarstein with a clever lob, but the stopper was smart enough to punch the ball clear of the onrushing Reus.

With the pressure mounting, a goal seemed inevitable, and it was Kagawa who once again played a big role in the buildup to Castro’s opener. The former Manchester United man fired a cross inside the box, which was only cleared as far as Castro, who curled the ball into the top corner with a lovely strike.

Bleacher Report UK’s Lars Pollman wasn’t surprised:

BVB were hungry for more and pushed for a second goal from the restart, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan becoming more involved. Hertha struggled to put any attacking moves together, and when Jens Hegeler finally powered his way into the box, Mats Hummels was there to clean up.

As the first half wore on, the pace of the match dropped, with both teams seemingly determined to take control of the ball in the middle of the park and not work it into the danger zones.

Mkhitaryan just failed to pick out Reus with an early cross, and the Armenian nearly provided another goal with a great ball for Marcel Schmelzer. Fortunately for the hosts, Niklas Stark slid in at the last possible moment to make a huge block.

With the end of the half approaching, Dortmund suddenly had three good chances to increase their lead in quick succession. Schmelzer’s opportunity should have been a goal, and Hummels wildly blasted over the bar after an excellent run through the box.

Jarstein then produced a fine save to deny Reus, and DW Sports’ Stefan Bienkowski thought the hosts were perhaps watching the example set by Liverpool in their come-from-behind win over BVB a little too closely:

Hegeler nearly made Die Schwarzgelben pay for their misses with one of the last touches of the half, but fortunately for the visitors, stopper Roman Burki was paying attention and made the stop.

Dortmund came out of half-time looking to add to their lead, with Mkhitaryan building on his solid first-half performance. Chances were rare on either side of the pitch, however, which played right into the hands of BVB.

Ramos nearly picked out the Armenian with a clever chip, but Jarstein had it covered all the way and came off his line in time. Reus then missed an easy pass that would have sent Kagawa through on goal unmarked, playing it far too light and allowing Brooks to intercept.

Minutes later, Brooks' header landed at the feet of Salomon Kalou, who used his right foot to stretch for the ball instead of his left and pushed the ball wide of the goal as a result. The ball always should have gone in, and Bienkowski was left disappointed with what he saw from the hosts:

Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel was furious with his team and ordered them to keep attacking, and Ramos put Jarstein to work shortly after with a hard drive.

Kalou again came close, this time a header that missed the goal by inches, as Hertha suddenly piled on the pressure. But against the run of play, Dortmund took full advantage when Brooks slipped, with Kagawa and Reus exploiting the open space and combining for a second goal on the break.

Football blogger Rafael Hernandez noted the American had barely put a foot wrong until that point:

The second goal effectively killed the tie, as it suddenly halted Hertha's momentum, and BVB easily played out the match. Mkhitaryan added a third goal on the counter after some lovely work from Reus, and Hertha were lucky not to concede any more in the final 10 minutes, as BVB mustered a few more chances.

Post-Match Reaction

As shared by DW Sports, Hummels told Sky Sports he believed Dortmund deserved the win:

Dortmund certainly dominated Hertha, who looked surprisingly flat on Wednesday and barely troubled Burki. BVB's defence deserves a lot of credit for that, and the way the team bounced back after the loss against Liverpool is admirable.

Die Schwarzgelben will meet Bayern Munich in the final in Berlin for another edition of Der Klassiker. The match will be at the Olympiastadion on May 21.

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