As of: February 6, 2024, 10:58 p.m
By: Niklas Kirk
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In a high-class cup fight, Bayer Leverkusen turns the game against VfB Stuttgart and shows itself ready for the top Bundesliga game.
DFB Cup quarter-finals: Bayer Leverkusen vs. VfB Stuttgart |
3:2 (0:1)
Wild exchange of blows in the top duel: Leverkusen comes back after two deficits
The
live ticker
of the game can be read
Conclusion: A worthy cup evening comes to an end. Bayer Leverkusen did not allow themselves to be deterred by several setbacks and ultimately deserved to win against VfB Stuttgart 3-2. The Swabians offered a game at eye level for over 90 minutes, with temporary field advantages, which, however, could not be used to finally pull away. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen is strengthening itself with a large portion of morale for the next big task next weekend. Then FC Bayern waits for the league showdown.
Bayer Leverkusen – VfB Stuttgart 3:2 (0:1)
Bayer Leverkusen lineup |
Kovar - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, G. Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo - Hofmann (Adli, 63rd minute), Schick (Borja Iglesias, 63rd minute), Wirtz (Hlozek, 93rd minute) |
Lineup VfB Stuttgart |
Nübel - Rouault, Anton, H. Ito, Mittelstädt (Stergiou, 67th minute) - Karazor, Stiller, Vagnoman, Millot (Leweling, 62nd minute), Führich (Dahoud, 79th minute) - Undav |
Gates: |
Anton (11th minute), Andrich (50th minute), Führich (58th minute), Adli (67th minute), Tah (90th minute) |
Viewers: |
Final whistle: Over, over, that's it! Bayer Leverkusen comes back late, wins and moves into the semi-finals of the DFB Cup.
90 + 4th minute
: Undav tries again!
But the shot from the turn is flat and central.
No problem for Kovar.
90 + 2nd minute
: Four minutes are replayed, two are already over.
Will Stuttgart be able to pull off another “Lucky Punch”?
90th minute
: Game turned!
The Leverkusen strike!
Florian Wirtz finds the incoming Tah with a half-field cross after a corner and the DFB defender nods in at the short corner.
Jonathan Tah celebrates his last-minute goal against VfB Stuttgart.
© IMAGO / Kolvenbach
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88th minute
: Both teams are now chasing the ball from each other at short intervals.
However, no promising offensive actions took place after the conquests.
85th minute
: Another corner for Stuttgart.
But it doesn't bring in anything.
80th minute
: Ten minutes left in regular playing time.
After 80 minutes of high-speed football, both teams want to avoid mistakes as much as possible.
Is it going into extra time?
78th minute
: Both teams are now taking some risks.
Leverkusen now seems to rely more on switching play and is letting Stuttgart have its way.
74th minute
: Iglesias finishes!
This is previously served by Frimpong on the edge of the penalty area.
The shot comes with a spin, but goes over.
Meanwhile, a fan had to receive medical treatment, but the all-clear was apparently given.
72nd minute
: Who will buckle here first?
Stuttgart wants to continue playing, but also has to protect itself adequately from deep balls.
Shortly after the goal, Wirtz already had an eye on Iglesias, but his shot was blocked in the penalty area.
67th minute
: Goal for Leverkusen!
Wirtz has a flash of inspiration and sends substitute Adli on his way from his own half.
He doesn't let himself be deterred and pushes Nübel through his legs to compensate.
63rd minute
: Now Leverkusen again, something is going on here.
Kovar intercepts a high ball and sends Wirtz on his way.
He gets to the penalty area, but misses the ball here. At Leverkusen, Iglesias now comes on for Schick.
61st minute
: Does Stuttgart have the home team back where they were in the first half?
At the moment, the Swabians are in no way inferior to Leverkusen when it comes to pressing.
DFB Cup quarter-finals now in the live ticker: Leverkusen equalizes, but Stuttgart responds in return
58th minute
: Goal for VfB!
The next dream goal by Führich!
Kovar plays a risky ball into the center, which the Swabians can capture.
Afterwards, Führich takes heart and hits from a distance just as wonderfully as Andrich.
Stuttgart back in front.
57th minute
: Chance for Stuttgart!
History almost repeated itself.
The first corner of the second half lands again at Waldemar Anton, but his shot is blocked.
55th minute
: But that poses a risk of a counterattack!
Frimpong pushes through on the right and of course looks for Patrick Schick, who, however, cannot handle the ball as it comes in.
53rd minute
: The Stuttgart team now needs a plan to set their own tone again and not just be pressed here.
They are now also running up more courageously again.
DFB Cup quarter-finals now in the live ticker: Leverkusen runs up and equalizes
50th minute
: GOAL for the Bavarian!
Compensation!
And what a!
A rebound from the penalty area lands at Robert Andrich, who beautifully flicks the ball into the top right corner.
Everything at the beginning and now it will be difficult for the Stuttgart team.
46th minute
: Chance for Schick!
Leverkusen continues where they left off.
At the sixteenth point, Wirtz played great against Schick.
However, he is interrupted by Anton as he finishes and his shot is well parried by Nübel.
46th minute
: And here we go again.
Who comes back into the game better here?
Both teams are foregoing substitutions for the time being.
DFB Cup quarter-final now in the live ticker: Stuttgart leads at the break, but Bayer is running
45 + 4th minute
: And then it's halftime!
VfB Stuttgart leads in Leverkusen thanks to a very concentrated defensive performance, although the guests could have made better use of the Bayer's chaos in the meantime.
However, the home team recovered during the first half, kept the tempo high and created top-class chances.
We will get back to you immediately after half time.
45 + 3rd minute
: Now VfB breaks free again with an attack of their own.
Ito runs along on the left and receives the ball from Führich.
However, the shot ends up on the side netting.
45th minute
: Four minutes of added time are indicated.
44th minute:
Great opportunity for Schick!
Witz breaks through on the right side of the penalty area and serves the Czech at the near post.
Nübel is there again.
Intensely played game: The DFB Cup quarter-final between Leverkusen and Stuttgart © Federico Gambarini
43rd minute:
Now the machine is starting to get hot!
From a promising position, Grimaldo takes a free kick towards the goal, but Nübel is able to defuse it to the side.
Leverkusen continues to run furiously and now also has chances.
41st minute:
And the equalizer!
Or not?
During the pass, Schick is offside, so his hit from around 5 meters does not count.
Correct decision.
39th minute:
Next opportunity for Bayer.
The ball comes to Wirtz on the left corner of the penalty area.
However, his conclusion is noticeably off.
36th minute:
Frimpong doesn't agree with a clear offside decision and gets yellow for complaining.
This is a bit emblematic of the home team's unsteady appearance.
It is questionable whether they will still find their way into the game in this half.
DFB Cup quarter-finals now in the live ticker: Leverkusen is having a hard time, Stuttgart is leading thanks to their mature performance
30th minute:
Leverkusen finally have their first goal.
However, Grimaldo's shot wasn't really dangerous.
On the other hand, goalkeeper Kovar caused unrest in his own ranks with a second ricochet.
Leverkusen hasn't fully gotten into the game here yet.
26th minute:
Frimpong is laid again, this time by Mittelstädt, who sees a yellow card for it.
Outside, Xabi Alonso begins to be annoyed by the guests' harsh behavior.
24th minute:
However, the check is not carried out.
VfB was lucky here.
23rd minute:
Ito gets in hard against Frimpong on the baseline.
The scene may be reviewed again.
18th minute:
The Stuttgart team continues to resist the pressure well.
Andrich has had enough of the small-scale game build-up that keeps Leverkusen rotating and courageously gets involved.
That's why you get the first yellow card of the game.
15th minute:
Another good advance from VfB.
Führich drives the ball forward from his own half, but Kovar is wide awake when the cross is passed.
14th minute:
How does Bayer react to this cold shower?
Stuttgart's courageous actions are immediately rewarded and now put Leverkusen under pressure to keep up the pace.
Contested duel: Bayer Leverkusen against VfB Stuttgart © Marius Becker
DFB Cup quarter-finals now in the live ticker: Leverkusen presses, Stuttgart scores
10th minute: GOAL for VfB with their first goal!
After a corner from the guests, Anton stands at the far post and heads over Kovar into the corner.
It was the Swabians' first significant offensive action.
6th minute:
First corner kick of the game for the home team, but it doesn't yield anything.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen is gaining a preponderance of ball possession as requested by the coach.
3rd minute:
The teams want to show straight away that they are fully there.
Both teams start very high and want to prevent their opponents from controlling the game.
1st minute:
Now it starts.
The ball rolls, the guests toast!
1st minute:
Before kick-off, Franz Beckenbauer is honored with a minute's silence.
Before kick-off:
It's ready!
Both teams enter the pitch, the stadium apparently sold out.
There are a lot of fireworks to admire on the local curve.
Update, 8:33 p.m.:
As the stadium fills up, the teams gradually retreat into the dressing room and are once again loudly encouraged by both corners.
Before the game, Sebastian Hoeneß once again referred to the self-confidence he has gained through the last two victories in the Bundesliga.
In an interview with
ARD
, Xabi Alonso emphasized the virtues of “patience and control” with which the uncomfortable opponent should be defeated today.
Update, 8:12 p.m.:
And another quick look at the teams' cup successes and near-successes: Bavaria has only been able to win the DFB Cup in 1993, and they were last in the final in 2020.
VfB, on the other hand, may be looking for their fourth triumph this year after 1954, 1958 and 1997.
The Swabians were last able to play their way to the final in 2013, only to lose to FC Bayern.
Update, 8:03 p.m.:
And now we can take a look at the lineups.
Cup keeper Kovar is used at Bayer.
Tapsoba, Frimpong, Hofmann and Schick also move into the starting eleven in place of Stanisic, Tella, Hlozek and Borja Iglesiallo.
At VfB, Hiroki Ito returns to the field, but Hoeneß has to continue relying on Deniz Undav's goal instincts as today's game comes too early for Guirassy.
Update from February 6th, 7:55 p.m.:
Hello and welcome to the live ticker for the “top game” in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup!
It starts in Leverkusen in just over 45 minutes.
Then the Werkself will face VfB Stuttgart.
DFB Cup quarter-finals: Bayer Leverkusen welcomes Stuttgart for the top game
First report from January 28th:
Leverkusen – Who will follow Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Kaiserslautern into the DFB Cup semi-finals?
After a cup season full of surprises and eliminated top clubs, Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart will meet on Tuesday (8.45 p.m./TV information here), two teams that shine in the Bundesliga and are therefore given the role of favorites.
Before the cup duel with Leverkusen: Stuttgart's form curve is pointing upwards
Purely on paper, the Swabians naturally take on the role of the underdog, which is also what VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß sees.
The hosts are “probably the favorites”, but the 41-year-old, like every football fan, knows about the cliché of the cup with its own rules.
“In the end, one team will advance, one will be eliminated.
That’s what makes it so attractive,” continued Hoeneß.
In addition to an improving form curve thanks to the convincing victories against Leipzig and Freiburg in the league, the personnel situation is another source of encouragement.
In addition to Hiroki Ito, who returned from the Asian Cup, who could be an ad-hoc option for the starting eleven, a comeback by starting striker Serhou Guirassy is also possible.
Here, however, Hoeneß is exercising strict restraint because after his muscle injury, the 27-year-old was recently plagued by gastrointestinal problems.
“We won't get him into anything if the risk is too great.
We also have a few other games to play afterwards.
It’s about a player’s health.”
Pure excitement in the DFB Cup: Bayern Leverkusen meets VfB Stuttgart © Own editing - left: picture alliance/dpa/Federico Gambarini right: picture alliance/dpa/Harry Langer
Before the league showdown against Bayern: Leverkusen is focusing on the DFB Cup
At Bayer Leverkusen, the desire for their first cup success in 31 years is increasing.
The Werkself don't want to know about stage fright ahead of the Bundesliga showdown against FC Bayern.
After the league win against Darmstadt, Granit Xhaka made it clear: “Honestly: we’re not interested in the big game today,” said the Swiss midfield strategist.
For him, the duel with VfB was “a final game”.
Managing director and club icon Simon Rolfes also adopted a similar tone in front of the party.
The cup is now “the all-important thing” where everything has to be “knocked out”.
Only then would Bayern come.
Déjà vu with “Vizekusen”?
Werkself before the fateful week
This top game may therefore be the start of a historic week in Leverkusen.
Still unbeaten in competitive games this season, victories against Stuttgart and FC Bayern could provide the necessary momentum for the rest of the season.
Possibly also as a unique opportunity for coach Xabi Alonso before moving abroad?
If the dress rehearsals on the way to championship and cup victory go wrong, memories of 2002 will inevitably be awakened and today's stars will be confronted with the trauma of “Vizekusen”.
With our live ticker you won't miss a minute of the game.
Kick-off is at 8:45 p.m.
(
nki
)