Bayern victorious in German Cup final
Bayern Munich captured its eighth domestic double by routing Werder Bremen 4-0 in the final of the German Cup on Saturday.
Bayern can complete a rare treble in Louis van Gaal's first season as coach if it beats Inter Milan in the Champions League final in one week in Madrid.
Arjen Robben scored from a penalty in the 34th minute, Ivica Olic doubled the lead in the 51st, Franck Ribery added the third in the 63rd and Bastian Schweinsteiger completed the victory in the 83rd.
Bayern stretched its German Cup title record to 15, one week after clinching its 22nd league championship at the same Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
Bremen captain Torsten Frings was sent off in the 76th. Bremen was in its 10th cup final and has six titles, the second most after Bayern, which has been in the final 17 times.
Bremen central defender Per Mertesacker handled the ball to give a penalty and Robben scored from the spot, firing into the low left corner. Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese read the shot but could not reach it.
Olic scored after Robben's corner. Mertesacker's clearance bounced off Daniel van Buyten and Olic stabbed the rebound into the net.
Ribery's goal came after a through ball from captain Mark van Bommel beat the offside trap and left the winger alone in front of Wiese. The winger slotted past the Bremen 'keeper.
A frustrated Frings was sent off with his second booking of the match then Schweinsteiger controlled a pass from Philipp Lahm with his chest and drove the ball past Wiese inside the far post.
Bayern quickly took control and Robben and Martin Demichelis missed early chances.
Bremen recovered swiftly and Bayern goalkeeper Joerg Butt stopped shots by Claudio Pizarro and Frings before Aaron Hunt missed the target.
Ribery released Robben on the left flank and the Dutchman sent in a low ball but both Thomas Mueller and Olic failed to connect from three meters out to waste Bayern's best chance in the first 25 minutes.
Robben then shot high over an empty net after another attack by Bayern.
Mueller also missed the target after Ribery's good pass.
Shortly after Ribery's goal, Pizarro's header was tipped over by Butt and substitute striker Hugo Almeida came close but Bremen, which finished third in the Bundesliga, was clearly the weaker team.
After Bayern's third goal, Werder effectively gave up.