Unrelenting in their underdog spirit, 1. FC Saarbrücken strikes again!
Once more, Saarbrücken, hailing from the tier three division, leaves the football world buzzing after knocking out the Conference League side and former Bundesliga finalists, Eintracht Frankfurt, with a stunning 2-0 (0-0) victory in the round of 16. A jubilant crowd of 15,903 spectators at Ludwigsparkstadion witnessed two nail-biting goals from Kai Brünker in the 64th minute and Luca Kerber in the 78th minute. Despite the defeat, Eintracht wasn't the only team left disappointed as they sent off their player Noel Futkeu with a red card in the 83rd minute for assault.
The reigning champions of the cup, Bayer Leverkusen, continue their unstoppable march
Looking invincible, the record-breaking Bayer Leverkusen team dominantly progressed toward the DFB Cup quarter-finals. The Bundesliga leaders barely faced any challenges in their 3-1 (2-0) win over SC Paderborn. With the elimination of FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig from the competition, Bayer now basks in the spotlight as the team with the best chance of winning the title following 21 straight wins, a remarkable record boasting 19 victories.
A setback for Leverkusen: Wirtz's unfortunate injury
Unfortunately, Leverkusen experienced a significant blow when their international sensation, Florian Wirtz, was injured. In the 44th minute, Wirtz was kicked on the heel, causing him to be forced out of the match, visibly in pain, accompanied by two coaches. Bayer reported that the 20-year-old sustained a painful ankle injury.
Bayer recovers and reclaims its dominance with Boniface, Palacios, and Schick’s goals
Bayer ultimately netted its goals through Victor Boniface in the 12th minute, marking his 14th competitive goal since his summer transfer, Exequiel Palacios in the 29th minute, and Patrik Schick, 12 minutes after his substitution (87'). Paderborn displayed resilience by scoring through Sebastian Klaas in the 83rd minute, but it wasn’t enough to secure a historic third quarter-final appearance in their history, following 2018 and 2019.
For further reading:
- Bayer Leverkusen's defense, led by Wirtz, solidifies their position in the Bundesliga's top standing, recording an impressive 19 win streak.
- Unforeseen circumstances allowed Saarbrücken to pull off a remarkable victory against last year's Bundesliga finalists, Eintracht Frankfurt.
- Since their summer transfer, Brünker, Kerber, and Saarbrücken have reached the cup's quarter-finals for the ninth time in the team's history, receiving a substantial bonus of over 1.7 million euros.
- With its 3-1 win against Paderborn, Bayer holds on to its unbeaten record, ensuring Wirtz's injury doesn't disrupt the team's momentum.
- Despite their initial resilience, Paderborn's dream of reaching a third quarter-final appearance in its history fades away after settling for a 3-1 defeat against Bayer.
Worth a peek:
- Unlike anglophone football fans in Bavaria, German fans are excited about the upcoming cup encounters between the reigning champions and their opponents, eagerly waiting for the thrilling action.
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Additional Insights:
The quarterfinal matches for the upcoming DFB Cup are as follows:
- February 4, 2:35 p.m. on ESPN+: VfB Stuttgart vs. FC Augsburg
- February 5, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2/ESPN+: Bayer Leverkusen vs. FC Köln
- February 25, 2:35 p.m. on ESPN+: Arminia Bielefeld vs. Werder Bremen
- February 26, 2:35 p.m. on ESPN+: RB Leipzig vs. VfL Wolfsburg
Regarding Saarbrücken's triumph and Leverkusen's performance in the DFB Cup:
- Saarbrücken's impressive 2-0 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt marks their ninth time reaching the cup's quarter-finals, highlighting their perseverance in the competition.
- After their success against FC Köln, Bayer Leverkusen advances to the cup's semi-finals for the second consecutive time, following their earlier victories in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. In the 2023-24 campaign, Bayer earned the DFB Cup title for the second time in their history, vanquishing 1. FC Kaiserslautern 1-0 in the final.
