Possible semi-final opponents: What next in the DFB Cup

"For the first time in three years, it's an all-Bundesliga line-up in the semi-finals. Bayern will therefore definitely face a rival from the top flight."

"Leverkusen saw off FC St. Pauli in an all-Bundesliga clash in the quarter-finals, comfortably winning 3-0. Bayern have met the Werkself eight times to date in the DFB Cup, with Bayer 04 only going through to the next round on two occasions. The Bavarians won both of the only two previous semi-final encounters in this competition - 3-1 at home in 2003 and 6-2 away in 2018. However, Leverkusen came out on top in the most recent cup meeting, winning 1-0 at the Allianz Arena two years ago, when Manuel Neuer was shown an early red card and Robert Andrich netted the winning goal."

"The Black Forest club have already sniffed the Berlin air and were pushed all the away by second-tier Hertha BSC at the final venue, needing penalties to seal their place in the next round. Now there could be a third cup clash between SCF and FCB. In the 2005 quarter-finals, Bayern blew Freiburg away 7-0, with a Claudio Pizarro hat-trick plus goals from Michael Ballack and Roy Makaay making it 5-0 after only 39 minutes in the snow in the Breisgau. Pizarro again and Vahid Hashemian completed the scoring. It proved to be the Iranian's only competitive goal for Bayern. Freiburg had to wait 18 years for the chance to avenge that drubbing - and they made the most of it with an upset in the quarter-finals in 2023. The 2-1 victory at the Allianz Arena knocked the Munich men out of the cup."

All four DFB-Pokal semi-finalists are Bundesliga clubs, ensuring Bayern Munich faces another top-flight team. Bayer Leverkusen beat FC St. Pauli 3-0; Leverkusen have met Bayern eight times in the cup, progressing only twice, with Bayern winning semi-finals in 2003 and 2018, while Leverkusen claimed a 1-0 win at the Allianz Arena two years ago after Manuel Neuer’s red card. SC Freiburg advanced on penalties after a tough tie with Hertha, having suffered a 7-0 loss to Bayern in 2005 before upsetting them 2-1 in 2023. VfB Stuttgart beat Holstein Kiel 3-0 and have lost only once to Bayern in ten cup meetings.

Read at FC Bayern