Thiago Alcantara has apologised for his flying kick on Bayer Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling during Wednesday's DFB-Pokal quarterfinal, which came before the Bayern Munich midfielder scored the winning penalty in the shootout.
Bayern continued their impressive cup run when they beat Leverkusen 5-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw at the Bay-Arena to reach the semifinals of the competition for the sixth time in succession.
Thiago, making only his second appearance since returning from a year-long absence through injury, converted the final spot kick to book a place in the last four against Borussia Dortmund.
The 23-year-old, however, was lucky to still be on the pitch following a foul on Kiessling that German tabloid Bild described as a "brutal kick."
After coming off the bench to replace captain Philipp Lahm after 68 minutes, Thiago leapt into a high challenge with Kiessling in injury time, catching his opponent in the chest. The Spain international was only shown a yellow card by referee Felix Zwayer, who had earlier ruled out a goal from Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski.
Kiessling, unable to play on, was substituted for Josip Drmic, who later became the only player to fail to convert a penalty as Leverkusen crashed out.
"That was a clear red card -- you don't need to discuss that," Leverkusen sporting executive Rudi Voller told reporters after the match. "That was a foul you don't want the see on the football pitch."
Thiago, though, said he "did not see" Kiessling when he raised his foot and told reporters: "I have apologised to him 1,000 times. I talked to him when he was down on the ground, during the penalty shootout, and in the dressing room."
Thiago added that he was "pumped with adrenaline" after his year on the sidelines.
Kiessling, unable to play on, was substituted for Josip Drmic, who later became the only player to fail to convert a penalty as Leverkusen crashed out.
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added: "He is someone who would not harm a fly. The referee acted on instinct when booking him. It was an accidental situation."
The game, a goalless draw after 120 minutes, was dominated by excellent performances by the keepers Bernd Leno and Manuel Neuer, whose save from Drmic decided the match.
Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt said: "This match did not deserve a loser but, even when it hurts incredibly, I am convinced that it will make us stronger. We've seen the best two goalies [in Germany] tonight, and the best one is between the Bayern posts."
Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, said he was delighted to have beaten "one of the best teams in the world."