Kuffour off as Schalke move into final

German Cup holders FC Schalke 04 muscled FC Bayern München aside in a fiercely-fought semi-final on Wednesday night, using their numerical superiority in extra-time to secure a 2-0 win.

Red card
The turning point in a match that produced eight yellow cards was the 90th-minute dismissal of Bayern defender Samuel Kuffour for a studded challenge on Jörg Böhme.

Thunderbolt
Dutch midfield player Nico van Hoogdalem scored Schalke's opener, thundering in an unstoppable drive from the edge of the penalty area ten minutes into extra-time after Bayern had only half-cleared a corner.

Game over
Böhme poked in the second with his left foot from a tight angle five minutes from the end. Bayern were left to rue Kuffour's dismissal, as well as two missed chances towards the end of normal time. Brazilian Giovane Elber headed against the bar in the 83rd minute, while Stefan Effenberg forced a fine save from Schalke keeper Oliver Reck four minutes later.

Bayern’s nemesis
The German and European champions were also unable to take revenge for their heaviest defeat of the season. Only six weeks ago, at the low point of Bayern's mid-season dip, Schalke beat them 5-1 in the 1. Bundesliga.

Leverkusen await
In-form Schalke, who defeated 1. FC Union Berlin in last season's German Cup Final, face a tougher challenge this year. Their opponents in Berlin on 11 May will be Bayer 04 Leverkusen, who defeated 1. FC Köln 3-1, also after extra-time, in Tuesday's first semi-final.

No repeat
Wednesday's game was not a patch on the last time the two sides met in the German Cup semi-finals in 1984. That match ended 4-4 after normal time and 6-6 after extra time, with Bayern winning the replay 3-2.