Bayern reaches German Cup final on Pizarro goals

Claudio Pizarro scored two late goals and Bayern Munich prevailed over stubborn third-division St. Pauli 3-0 on Wednesday, sending the Bundesliga leader into the German Cup final.

Owen Hargreaves drove the ball home with a curling, dipping shot from nearly 30 meters after 15 minutes, and Pizarro secured the victory with goals in the 83rd and 89th.

In the final in Berlin on April 29, Bayern will play Eintracht Frankfurt, which beat Arminia Bielefeld 1-0 on Tuesday.

Bayern is seeking to become the first German club to repeat the domestic double.

St. Pauli, a club from Hamburg's red-light district with a cult following, had more shots on goal in the first half, although Bayern had more possession.

Early in the second half, Oliver Kahn made a spectacular save on the line to turn away a powerful header by Felix Luz and protect Bayern's lead.

Bayern withstood a 10-minute barrage without conceding a goal against a club whose total annual budget equals the salary of an average Bayern player, about euro3.5 million (US$4.2 million).

The 19-time league and 12-time cup champion then replied with its own pressure, resulting in Philipp Lahm's effort, which struck the post from the edge of the box.

With 10 minutes remaining, striker Roy Makaay closed in alone on St. Pauli's goal only to shoot over the bar.

But the St. Pauli defense failed to clear a corner in the 83rd and Pizarro converted from close range. The striker added another six minutes later.