As of: April 5, 2024, 5:24 a.m
By: Christoph Klaucke
Comments
Press
Split
Bayer 04 Leverkusen celebrates reaching the DFB Cup final against Düsseldorf. © Dennis Ewert/RHR-FOTO/Imago
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is in the DFB Cup final. The Werkself defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-0. The semi-finals in the ticker to read.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen – Fortuna Dusseldorf 4-0
Wirtz double pack
: Youngster benefits from
goalkeeper mistake
and
hand penalty
Lightning goal in Leverkusen
:
Frimpong
takes
an early lead
FINAL WHISTLE: Bayer 04 Leverkusen is in the DFB Cup final! The Werkself won comfortably 4-0 against Fortuna Düsseldorf and remained unbeaten in their 40th competitive game this season. The final in Berlin will take place on May 25th. The opponent is 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Leverkusen – Düsseldorf 4:0 (3:0)
Leverkusen line-up: |
Kovar - Stanisic, Tah, Tapsoba - Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka (78. Kossounou), Grimaldo (71. Hincapie) - Adli (65. Tella), Wirtz (65. Hofmann) - Schick (65. Boniface) |
|---|---|
Düsseldorf lineup: |
Kastenmeier - Zimmermann (85th Vermeij), Siebert, Hoffmann (46th Quarshie), Iyoha (76th Jastrzembski) - Oberdorf, Engelhardt - Klaus (46th Sobottka), Johannesson, Tzolis - Mustapha (65th Niemiec) |
Gates: |
1:0 Frimpong (7th), 2:0 Adli (20th), 3:0 Wirtz (35th), 4:0 Wirtz (60th) |
87th minute:
Tella is up and running and runs freely towards the goalkeeper. Then the speed dribbler is pushed from behind by Quarshie and falls. A clear penalty, but referee Christian Dingert waves it off and lets play continue. The VAR does not intervene this time either.
84th minute:
Boniface prevails in a small space on the edge of the penalty area. The ball falls at Frimpong's feet. Boniface would have liked to get the ball back, but Frimpong takes a shot and is denied by Kastenmeier.
80th minute:
Tzolis slips just before the penalty area and plays the ball with his hand - annoying, but no longer decisive in the game today. Leverkusen will move into the cup final in Berlin in just a few minutes.
74th minute: Düsseldorf calls for a penalty - but they don't hear it. Tzolis falls in the penalty area after a push from behind by Frimpong, but that was probably not enough for a penalty.
73rd minute:
Tella dribbles into the penalty area at top speed and shoots - over.
My news
Videos show dramatic losses: Russia's tank fleet is lost in the rain of cluster bombs
Weather warning for parts of Bavaria: Severe thunderstorms are approaching - DWD does not exclude tornadoes
ARD documentary ruthlessly covers Germany's Leopard 2 problem for the Bundeswehr
Debate about citizens' money for Ukraine refugees: “The federal government is making our lives difficult” read
“Matador” weapon: Germany supplies Ukraine with 2,056 pieces – its advantage is a warning reading
Bankruptcy of German industry giant: next traditional company goes bankrupt
69th minute:
Free-kick artist Grimaldo takes off. From a good 20 meters, the Spaniard flicks the ball onto the roof of the goal. There wasn't much missing, but Kastenmeier would probably have been there.
65th minute:
Substitution time. Xabi Alonso can rest his stars, the game seems decided. Hofmann, Boniface and Tella come into play for Wirtz, Schick and Adli.
Wirtz double pack: Youngster benefits from goalkeeper mistake and hand penalty
60th minute: GOOOOOOOOOOR for Leverkusen. Goalscorer: Wirtz. The 20-year-old executes with great concentration at the bottom left. Kastenmeier had the corner but still has no chance.
59th minute:
According to the pictures, the referee points to the spot - penalty. A tough decision. Zimmermann has stretched his hand or arm too far from his body.
57th minute: Post! Zimmermann sends a smart header from close range to his outstretched hand, from where the ball bounces onto the aluminum. The scene is checked.
54th minute: There's a huge thing for Fortuna. Tzolis gets to the ball relatively freely in the penalty area and takes a shot, but Kovar is quick to react and holds on to the ball.
51st minute:
For Fortuna, the first thing to do is not to completely fall apart. And with a bit of luck, there will be a glimmer of hope at the front, as almost happened shortly before halftime.
48th minute:
The second half also paints the same picture as in the first 45 minutes. Leverkusen shows no mercy here and is hungry for more goals.
46th minute:
The game continues in the second half.
HALF-TIME:
Leverkusen is well-deserved and clearly leading 3-0 at the break. Fortuna Düsseldorf has no chance at all, but could have shortened the score shortly before half-time.
45th minute +2:
Wirtz tests Kastenmeier for a brilliant save, then there is a break.
45th minute: Huge chance to score. Now the Düsseldorfers are switching gears quickly after winning the ball early in the Leverkusen half. Hoffmann fails due to a strong reflex from Kovar.
43rd minute:
Signs of life from Fortuna. Siebert takes courage on the half-left side of the penalty area and takes a shot, but the ball flies three or four meters past the goal to the right.
40th minute:
Wirtz gets the ball in front of the penalty area after an intercepted Düsseldorf pass. The youngster tries it from a distance, Kastenmeier is still with his fingertips on it.
Bad goalkeeping mistake: Wirtz increased the score to 3-0 after 35 minutes
35th minute: GOOOOOOOOOOR for Leverkusen. Goalscorer: Wirtz. The next mistake made by Düsseldorf will be punished coldly. Goalkeeper Kastenmeier makes a bad mistake and plays the ball through the middle to Andrich. From there the ball comes back very quickly before it hits the box. Wirtz gets the ball via Adli and doesn't have to be asked twice.
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz shines in the DFB Cup semi-final against Düsseldorf. © Kirchner-Media/TH/Imago
35th minute:
Grimaldo tries a spectacular direct shot with his strong left foot, but Kastenmeier is on the post.
33rd minute:
Now a Düsseldorfer intervenes, but at the expense of a foul. Engelhardt arrives too late and steps on Frimpong's foot. The following free kick from the right side is cleared for a corner.
30th minute:
Düsseldorf watches helplessly as the Leverkusen team play football. The Fortuna professionals don't get into duels because the home team lets the ball run at lightning speed.
25th minute:
With the lead behind them, Leverkusen becomes even more dominant minute by minute and is almost in a frenzy. Fortune has to be very careful that this doesn't end badly.
20th minute: GOOOOOOOOOOOOR for Leverkusen. Goalscorer: Adli. The Düsseldorfers allow themselves to be countered again and again and collect the receipt. Adli takes advantage of being overpaid and hits the ball flat into the right corner from the left in front of the penalty area. No chance for Kastenmeier.
18th minute:
Wirtz plucks the ball out of the air after a ricochet from the guests and lays it off for Andrich. But the defensive midfielder shoots over the goal.
14th minute:
Lucky for Fortuna. After Andrich wins the ball, Leverkusen runs with four men to two Düsseldorfers, but the pass in the penalty area does not reach the goal.
12th minute:
A difficult evening awaits the people of Düsseldorf. The Leverkusen team shows no signs of letting off the accelerator, one wave of attacks follows the other.
Lightning goal in Leverkusen: Frimpong takes an early lead
7th minute: GOOOOOOOOOOR for Leverkusen. Goalscorer: Frimpong. The Düsseldorf team can still clear Schick's finish in the penalty area after a cross from the left. But the ball jumps to Frimpong's feet, the winger doesn't hesitate for long and shoots the ball into the top right corner.
Jeremie Frimpong scored Leverkusen's early lead in the DFB Cup semi-final against Düsseldorf. © Horst Mauelshagen/Imago
6th minute:
Fortuna also registers. But Mustapha's shot is too weak to pose a challenge to Leversen's cup goalkeeper.
5th minute: For the first time, things get really tricky in the guests' penalty area. A Grimaldo cross rushes through the box. At the last moment, Iyoha intervenes with the tip of his foot in front of the lurking Frimpong.
4th minute:
The nimble Florian Wirtz dangerously penetrates Düsseldorf's penalty area for the first time, but can be stopped.
1st minute:
Düsseldorf shows from the first second that they don't want to hide against the big favorites and want to play along themselves. An important sign: the team stands tall and doesn't hide behind.
KICK-OFF:
The ball is rolling! Düsseldorf has kick-off.
Update April 3rd, 8:41 p.m.:
The two teams march onto the field in the BayArena, where it is pouring rain. Everything is ready for the Rhineland duel between Leverkusen and Düsseldorf in the DFB Cup semi-finals. Who is going to Berlin? We are looking forward to an exciting evening of football.
Update April 3rd, 8:33 p.m.:
World champion, European champion, Champions League winner – Xabi Alonso has achieved everything in his long playing career. However, the DFB Cup final in the Berlin Olympic Stadium left a very special impression on the Bayer Leverkusen coach. In 2016 he was part of Bayern Munich's triumph as a professional, but was not on the field due to an injury.
“The atmosphere was almost like a Champions League final. That was wonderful,” said the Spaniard, who did not play in Bayern’s win against Borussia Dortmund after a penalty shootout due to bruised ribs. He still has “very nice memories” of the final, and the cup final in the capital was “special”.
The 42-year-old's motivation is correspondingly high before Leverkusen's semi-final against second division team Fortuna Düsseldorf to make his return to Berlin perfect. Bayer hasn't been in the final often, "that's why it's a great opportunity," said Alonso: "I've experienced it, it's a good feeling."
Update from April 3rd, 8:30 p.m.:
Fortuna Düsseldorf has to do without center player Ao Tanaka at short notice today. The Japanese suffers from “acute appendix problems” and has already undergone surgery.
“It was heading towards emergency surgery, he had to go on the table straight away,” said Fortuna coach Daniel Thioune before the game on ZDF. “He gave us the order because he wants to play one more game in the DFB Cup this season,” the F95 coach continued. If Düsseldorf reaches the final in Berlin, Tanaka might be able to play again.
Update from April 3rd, 8:20 p.m.:
In the cup history, the Düsseldorfers have so far been more successful than the overwhelming favorites. Fortuna won the cup in 1979 and 1980. In total, the club reached the final seven times, including three times in a row (1978 - 1980). The Düsseldorfers also hold a record that is more than 40 years old with a series of winning 18 cup games in a row. And in the two previous games against Bayer Leverkusen in the cup (1979 and 1986), the Düsseldorf team were also able to prevail.
Update from April 3rd, 8 p.m.:
The lineup of guests from Düsseldorf is also known. Fortuna coach Daniel Thioune is also making three changes compared to the last game, the 3-1 win in Kaiserslautern in the 2nd league. Iyoha, captain Hoffmann and Johannesson replace Uchino, Tanaka and Appelkamp (bench). The Japanese Ao Tanaka is out for a short time with “acute appendix problems” and has already undergone surgery.
Lineups: Xabi Alonso changes goalkeeper
Update from April 3rd, 7:49 p.m.:
The Bayer 04 Leverkusen lineup is here. Coach Xabi Alonso makes three changes to his starting eleven in the DFB Cup semi-final against Düsseldorf compared to the 2-1 win against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. Cup goalkeeper Kovar replaces captain Hradecky between the posts. In addition, Stanisic in the back three and Adli in the offensive push Hincapie and Hofmann to the bench.
Kovar's personality in particular may surprise some people. The Czech made a serious mistake in the 3-2 win against Stuttgart in the quarter-finals. But the Werkself turned the deficit around and scored the winning goal in the 90th minute. Alonso obviously trusts the 23-year-old and sees no reason to change his plan.
Preliminary report:
Leverkusen – The final opponent for Kaiserslautern is being sought. On Wednesday evening, at 8:45 p.m., the big favorite Bayer 04 Leverkusen welcomes the second division team Fortuna Düsseldorf. Who will win the semi-finals of the DFB Cup and go to the final in Berlin? The outsider has to complain about a bitter loss before the game.
DFB Cup semi-final live today: Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso on mission triple
The path for Leverkusen to their first cup victory since 1993 is actually clear. Even before the semi-finals, the Werkself were the last remaining Bundesliga club in the competition. Xabi Alonso's team is still unbeaten in 39 competitive games this season and is celebrating three weddings. In addition to the DFB Cup and the Europa League, where West Ham United are waiting in the quarter-finals, the first championship in the club's history is just a formality.
After Bayern's 2-1 last-minute win against Hoffenheim and Bayern's 2-0 defeat against Dortmund, the lead is already 13 points. “It was like two wins in one day for us,” said Alonso, who is already focusing on the upcoming opponent: “But we didn’t talk that much about Bayern or Dortmund. Sunday was off and Monday was all about Fortuna, Fortuna, Fortuna.”
Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso are looking forward to returning against Düsseldorf
Against Düsseldorf, the Spanish coach will again have attacker Victor Boniface and midfielder Exequiel Palacios at his disposal. “We are in a great situation. “We don’t have any injured players anymore,” said Alonso: “That’s not normal and it’s a bit of luck.”
Palacios recently canceled the US trip with Argentina's national team due to muscle problems in his thigh, while Boniface was injured in January. After the adductor injury, the Nigerian was not yet ready for 90 minutes or a half, Alonso said: “But maybe he can play 30 minutes. He has recovered extremely well. He can’t wait to get back on the field.”
Leverkusen against Düsseldorf: Injury shock shortly before the DFB Cup semi-finals
Things aren't looking so rosy for the opponent. Fortuna Düsseldorf has to do without key player Ao Tanaka in the short term. The 25-year-old Japanese was operated on due to “acute appendix problems” and will be out of the DFB Cup semi-finals until further notice. It was “unfortunately not a late April Fool’s joke but simply really bitter,” wrote Fortuna on X.
Tanaka is the Düsseldorfer's player with the third most minutes played in the league this season. He scored seven goals across all competitions in the current season - including in the cup quarter-finals at FC St. Pauli.
Fortuna Düsseldorf has to complain about the bitter loss of Ao Tanaka before the DFB Cup semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen. © David Inderlied/dpa
DFB Cup semi-final live today: Düsseldorf wants to stop invincible Leverkusen
Despite being the favorite, Alonso goes into the duel with the second division team with respect. “This role means nothing. We have to show it on the pitch,” said the Spaniard: “We are expecting a very good opponent. They have a good series and are in good shape. That's not easy.” After the 3-1 win in Kaiserslautern, Fortuna is unbeaten in seven games and is third in the table fighting for promotion to the Bundesliga.
“My dream is to sit with the golden thing in the Olympic Stadium on the evening of May 25th. We want to do everything we can to be successful,” said Fortuna coach Daniel Thioune. Here you can find out where the game is running live on TV and stream.
Or follow the DFB Cup semi-final between Leverkusen and Düsseldorf tonight, from 8:45 p.m., here in the live ticker.
(ck)