Thomas Tuchel believes lady luck was on his team’s side after Borussia Dortmund came from behind to defeat Bayern Munich and reach their fourth successive DFB-Pokal final.
Marco Reus gave Dortmund a 19th minute lead but Bayern were in control at half-time thanks to goals from Javi Martinez and Mats Hummels.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brought Dortmund level on 69 minutes before a stunning strike from Ousmane Dembele sealed a 3-2 victory and avenged the 4-1 league defeat they suffered at the Allianz Arena last month.
Dortmund will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the final at the Olympic Stadium on May 27 and Tuchel was honest in his assessment of the semi-final clash.
“We knew we’d need luck, and it was smiling on us today,” he told the club’s website.
“We were lucky it was only a 2-1 reverse at half-time. We improved after the hour mark and displayed more courage. It was an open contest then, and we felt we could score the equaliser and perhaps even win.
“Bayern had the chance to decide the game shortly before and after the break. If they’d gone 3-1 up, we’d probably be sitting here having deservedly lost.”
“We scored two outstanding goals and showed great passion in seeing the win through. It is a sensational feeling.
“This success is indispensable for our self-confidence and for the team’s development. We don’t just want to make it to Berlin this year, we want to go there to win it.”
It was Dortmund’s 21st win in their last 22 away games in the competition and leaves Bayern without the chance of winning at least two trophies in a season for only the second time in the last five campaigns, with boss Carlo Ancelotti ruing his side’s profligacy.
“If you get knocked out you’re disappointed of course. The cup is an important competition for us,” the Italian said.
“We did a good job in the first half and should have made it 3-1. Our mistake was to squander our chances. We lacked balance in the second half.
“It’s too early to draw a conclusion to the season. We still have four matches and want to win the Bundesliga.”
Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, who is deputising for the injured Manuel Neuer, feels Bayern must put all their energy into securing a fifth league crown in a row to make up for their disappointing exit.
He told fcbayern.com: “We failed to make the most of clear-cut chances, and we allowed Dortmund to fight their way back. It’s very bitter.
“It’s not an ideal season as now we’re out of both knockout competitions. We have to give it everything and wrap up the Bundesliga championship title as soon as possible.”