Third-Tier Bielefeld Shocks Leverkusen to Reach German Cup Final
Third-tier Arminia Bielefeld pulled off a stunning upset on Tuesday by defeating defending champions Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in the German Cup semifinals. This victory sends Bielefeld to the DFB-Pokal final for the first time in the club’s history.
Bielefeld, who have been giant-killers in this competition by eliminating four Bundesliga teams in consecutive rounds, became only the fourth third-tier side ever to reach the German Cup final.
“I’m so proud of the team,” exclaimed Bielefeld’s coach Michel Kniat. “The whole region is feeling this. No one will be sleeping tonight. We defended with passion, and that was the key. We worked extremely hard. It was great to go into the break with the lead, and in the second half we kept up the pressure for what was a deserved win.”
Leverkusen, under coach Xabi Alonso, had never lost a German Cup game until now. They took the lead in the 17th minute when Jonathan Tah tapped in at the far post from a corner. However, their advantage was short-lived.
Just three minutes later, Bielefeld’s Marius Woerl beat goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky with a low drive to level the score. Hradecky made a spectacular save in the 26th minute, blocking Sarenren Bazee‘s close-range effort. Yet, Bielefeld completed their comeback on the stroke of halftime when Maximilian Grosser volleyed home from close range.
The hosts were relentless after the break, creating several chances to extend their lead. Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick nearly equalized in the 81st minute, but his header struck the post.
Leverkusen, who secured the league and Cup double undefeated last season, are currently second in the Bundesliga, trailing leaders Bayern Munich by six points with seven games remaining.
“It’s hard to say what went wrong so shortly after the game,” admitted Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich. “But when we say that Bielefeld deserved to reach the final, it means we did a lot of things wrong. We were missing all our usual strengths. We couldn’t make an impact up front, and we made far too many mistakes at the back. It was clearly our worst game this season. We have to accept that we messed it up.”
Bielefeld’s historic triumph sets them up for a chance at silverware in the final. They will face the winner of the other semifinal between VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig, which takes place on Wednesday.
This remarkable journey by Arminia Bielefeld has captured the imagination of football fans, proving that anything is possible in the beautiful game.
