Bayern Munich are on a high after securing their 25th German league title, and their third in a row. They now want to increase their record German Cup wins to 18. (Reuters)

 

DPA/Berlin


Newly-crowned Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich maintain their quest for the treble when they take on Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals of the German Cup tonight.
Third-division outfit Arminia Bielefeld, meanwhile, hope to continue their remarkable giantkilling series this season by claiming the scalp of VfL Wolfsburg a day later.
Tonight’s encounter though is expected to be the highlight, with Bayern and Dortmund again measuring up in what has been a heavyweight battle over the past few seasons.
Bayern beat Dortmund 2-0 in extra-time in last season’s cup final, avenging Dortmund’s 5-2 victory at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium in the 2012 edition. In between came the 2013 Champions League final between the two sides which Bayern won 2-1 at Wembley.
Pep Guardiola’s Bayern side are on a high after securing their 25th German league title, and their third in a row, at the weekend. They now want to increase their record German Cup wins to 18 while also targeting the Champions League final, also being played in Berlin.
Juergen Klopps’s Dortmund meanwhile can salvage a disappointing season by reaching the cup final in what would be an emotional farewell for the coach, who makes way for Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season.
To do so Dortmund would have to win a cup game for the first time in Munich, having also been beaten twice in the league this season by Bayern following a 2-0 Super Cup victory before the start of the season.
“I think we played well when we lost 1-0 at home to Bayern and in the first game we also matched them for a long time,” midfielder Sven Bender told the German football federation website.
Two home victories over Paderborn and Eintracht Frankfurt have also moved Dortmund to seventh in the league after propping up the table in February, giving them hopes a Europa League place.
“On a good day we are capable of beating Bayern,” Bender said. “It is a cup semi-final... so everything is possible. We will be throwing everything into it. It would be nice to be in Berlin again this season.”
Dortmund will be without first-choice keeper Roman Weidenfeller for the trip to the Allianz Arena following a bruised pelvis and torn muscle.
Australian Mitch Langerak, who was in goal against Frankfurt Saturday and has been preferred for cup matches, therefore stays between the posts.
Bayern, who have had to put their Bundesliga title celebrations on hold, again have Dutch winger Arjen Robben and defender Mehdi Benatia in contention after the pair returned to team training Sunday.
Robben has been out for five weeks after an abdominal muscle tear, while Benatia suffered a torn muscle in the victory on penalties over Bayer Leverkusen in the previous round.
“It feels great to be on the pitch again,” Robben  said. “At the moment it’s looking good but I shouldn’t be celebrating too much.”
Elsewhere, second-placed Wolfsburg are hoping to reach only their second final, 20 years after losing to Borussia Moenchengladbach. Since then they have gone out in five semi-finals including the past two seasons, to Bayern (2013) and Dortmund (2014).
Wolfsburg, who slipped 1-0 in Moenchengladbach on Sunday, are clear favourites against third-division leaders Bielefeld—but so were Bielefeld’s top-flight victims Gladbach, Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen in the previous rounds.