Leverkusen (dpa) - Shadowed by a medical emergency and half an hour of ghostly silence in the stadium, Bayer Leverkusen has entered the semi-finals of the DFB Cup.
The Rhinelanders won 3: 1 (0: 1) in a emotional quarter final against Union Berlin due to the accompanying circumstances. After the goals of Karim Bellarabi (72nd), Charles Aránguiz (86th) and Moussa Diaby (90th + 1) in front of 18,453 spectators, Bayer fans can dream of the first title since the cup victory in 1993.
Union, on the other hand, can only cause a stir in the Bundesliga. The promoted was close to second semifinal participation after the 2001 finals season. Marcus Ingvartsen (39.) had even taken the lead. After the yellow-red card against Christopher Lenz (71.), however, the strength waned.
After a quarter of an hour, the game was no longer a normal cup game. Paramedics ran into the lower audience rank, pulled out a person, covered them with blankets, and attempted resuscitation. The spectators then stopped singing until shortly before the half-time whistle, every single call in the stadium was suddenly heard. Shortly after the break, Bayer tweeted that the fan was on the way to the hospital.
Union was the better team on the grass in the early stages, Leverkusen was unusually passive. The Berliners took the first chance with Marius Bülter, but Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky thwarted it (11th). Union looked significantly fresher, but coach Urs Fischer had also nominated five new players for the starting eleven compared to 2-2 in the league against VfL Wolfsburg. "We cannot allow ourselves injuries," the coach explained before the game at Sport1.
Bayer, who had to do without striker Kevin Volland and captain Lars Bender, who had been injured for a long time, had to struggle with the lack of spectator support for a reason. Little could be seen of the Leverkusen speed game of the past weeks. And the Bosz-Elf became more vulnerable: After a strong flank run by Bülter on the right side, Ingvartsen beheaded to guide the guests, not undeservedly. The Union fans cheered, but visibly restrained. A little later, the first responders received a cautious all-clear, so that the audience resumed their chants.
Immediately after the break, these were directed jointly from both fan camps against the German Football Association, but there were no explicit hate posters. The hosts grew stronger. Due to the backlog under pressure only Bayer played at first, the substitute Diaby had the first chance to equalize (47.). Union focused increasingly on counterattack and was punished by substitute Bellarabi. Aránguiz finally let the dreams of the Berliners who traveled with him burst.
Game information
Bayer Leverkusen
Union Berlin
