The highlights of the DFB Cup semi-final between Bayer Leverkusen and Fortuna Düsseldorf.03.04.2024 | 5:53 minThe next step to the triple: Bayer Leverkusen showed no weaknesses in the semi-finals of the DFB Cup and defeated second division team Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-0 (3-0). The Bundesliga table leaders were clearly superior in the home arena, which was sold out with around 30,000 spectators, and there was no tension. Jeremie Frimpong (7th minute), Amine Adli (20th) and Florian Wirtz (35th/60th, hand penalty) scored the goals.
A final is always something special, regardless of the opponent.
Bayer-Trainer Xabi Alonso
Leverkusen too strong for Düsseldorf
Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, who recently announced that he would stay at Bayer, showed with his starting lineup that he was by no means taking the opponent lightly. Apart from keeper Matej Kovar and defender Josip Stanisic, only regular players were on the pitch. Nice Easter gift from Xabi Alonso to Bayer Leverkusen: The Spaniard announces that he will also be the coach of the Bundesliga club next season.03/29/2024 | 0:36 minutes
In addition to the line-up, the attitude was also right: Bayer took command from the start and, with rare, brief exceptions, restricted Düsseldorf in their half. It was not a rare sight to see all players except Kovar in the Düsseldorf half of the field.
In the fourth minute, Fortuna’s Emmanuel Iyoha made a desperate save from Jeremie Frimpong, but shortly afterwards Bayer’s Dutch rail player struck: the Düsseldorf defense was able to block a shot from Patrik Schick, but the ball fell right at Frimpong’s feet, who was just as dry how powerfully the favorite took the lead.
Adli completes dream attack
In return, Kovar had to defuse a shot from Fortuna striker Christos Tzolis, but all too often Düsseldorf couldn’t get over the halfway line. And when the time came, Leverkusen hit back ice-cold: After winning the ball near their own goal line, the Werkself combined at top speed and with soaring confidence down the left side. Amine Adli was left to finish this excellent attack – making it 2-0 after 20 minutes .
The constant running after seemed to unnerve the Düsseldorf team, and keeper Florian Kastenmeier had apparently lost concentration: After a good half hour, the goalkeeper made a bad pass, the ball went through Robert Andrich and Adli to Florian Wirtz, who made it 3-0 ( 35.). Leverkusen didn’t just shine in front of the opponent’s goal. The defense also hardly allowed anything. Even center forward Schick, depending on the situation, traveled a long way to lead duels on the halfway line. In the final minutes of the first half, the Werkself gave the guests a little more breathing room, Andre Hoffmann’s shot from close range was denied by Kovar.The game in full03.04.2024 | 170:23 minutes
Bayer manages Favorit im Finale
After the break, little changed in what happened on the pitch, even if Leverkusen reduced the intensity somewhat. It was still enough to clearly dominate Düsseldorf. Schick headed against the post (57th), Wirtz converted a hand penalty to make it 4-0 (60th). Luckily, Fortuna survived the rest of the season without conceding another goal. There was still cheering when Bayer striker Victor Boniface, who had been injured for a long time, came on as a substitute.
After this renewed demonstration of Leverkusen’s strength, anything other than a win in the final against Kaiserslautern would be tantamount to a sensation. Another scenario seems more realistic: that Bayer 04, as the newly crowned German champions, also wins the cup. And a few days before the showdown in the Olympic Stadium there is the Europa League final – the Werkself are also in good shape in this competition. 1. FC Kaiserslautern ended 1. FC Saarbrücken’s cup fairytale in the semi-finals. The second division team defeated the cup horror 2-0 and is in the final in Berlin.02.04.2024 | 5:45 minutes