Sammer issues Bayern semi-final warning

Bayern and second tier outfit Kaiserslautern will meet at Allianz Arena on Wednesday for a place in the competition decider, with either Borussia Dortmund or Wolfsburg awaiting in Berlin.The Bundesliga giants, who are expected to be without Thiago, Xherdan Shaqiri and Holger Badstuber, have gone off the boil recently following successive league defeats to Borussia Dortmund and Augsburg.

It was the first time Bayern had lost two consecutive league games since November 2011.

As for Kaiserslautern, who upstaged Bundesliga opponents Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals, they are undefeated in seven games and Sammer has warned Pep Guardiola's men not to take the 2. Bundesliga team lightly.

"It's a final for us," said Sammer.

"The lads know exactly not to follow Leverkusen's example. We need to produce a better performance than we did against Dortmund."

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge echoed Sammer's thoughts: "It will be important for us not to underestimate the opposition.

"They showed what damage they can do against a Bundesliga team at Leverkusen."

Bayern are looking to win back-to-back DFB Pokal trophies after edging Stuttgart in last year's final, winning 3-2 courtesy of Mario Gomez's brace and a first-half penalty from Thomas Muller as the club claimed the treble under Jupp Heynckes.

If Bayern reach the final and win, it would be the first time they have won two consecutive domestic cups since 2005 and 2006.