Posted in: 21/05/2022 – 23:38
Berlin (AFP) – It was the “third fixed” for Leipzig after it won the German Cup title for the first time in its history by winning the final against Freiburg 4-2 on penalties (1-1 after regular and extra time) at the Olympic Stadium in the capital, Berlin, on Saturday.
Maximilian Eggstein scored the advance goal for Freiburg (19), before Marcel Halsteberg was sent off by Leipzig less than a quarter of an hour after the start of the second half (57). However, Frenchman Christopher Nkunku managed to equalize (79), so the two teams resorted to the extension and then the penalty shootout, which Leipzig settled in his favour, achieving his first title after failing in the first two attempts in 2019 and 2021.
As for Freiburg, he hoped to crown a distinguished season by winning the title after he entered the cup final for the first time in his history.
This was the first final since 2011 in which the giants, Bayern Munich, the league and record holder, or Borussia Dortmund, were not a party to it, since Schalke won at the expense of Duisburg.
This is the first big title in Leipzig’s history, after it was runner-up in the Bundesliga twice and lost the cup final last year to Borussia Dortmund and in 2019 against Bayern Munich. It has also not reached a European Championship final since it was founded only in 2009.
And finally, German-Italian Domenico Tedesco managed to lead him to the title after he was appointed coach in the middle of the season last December, succeeding American Jesse Marsh.
Leipzig finished fourth in the European Champions League, while Freiburg qualified for the Europa League by finishing sixth.
Good luck Freiburg
The first threat to Leipzig was after Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flecken blocked Swede Emil Forsberg’s shot to return to Nkunko, but his shot bounced from the defense over the crossbar (14).
There was controversy over Freiburg’s goal after a cross reached the Hungarian Roland Shalay inside the area and hit his hand when he tamed it before passing it to Eggstein, who shot it with his left from outside the area into the net (19). The referee did not cancel the goal after resorting to the video assistant referee “VAR”, because the touch was not intentional, amid the protest of the Leipzig players.
Leipzig then missed a golden opportunity after a mistaken header from Nicholas Hoefler fell in front of Nkunko on the door of the goal.
The second half of the first half did not witness a serious threat to the goal from the two teams.
Leipzig started the second half strongly and the ball reached Nkunko in the middle of the area, turned around and hit it almost deceiving the goalkeeper, who managed to catch it (50).
Leipzig suffered a painful blow after Halsteberg was sent off directly for committing a foul on the last striker, Lucas Holler, in the 57th minute.
And from the resulting set-piece, Freiburg almost scored the second goal, had it not been for the Italian Vincenzo Grifo’s ball past the post.
Freiburg continued his pressure after the numerical compromise and hit a ball that was saved by the goalkeeper and turned into a corner (60).
Tedesco quickly made a three-substitution and abandoned Portuguese striker Andre Silva and Volsberg.
Despite the numerical shortage, Leipzig succeeded in pressing and getting what he wanted after the ball reached the Hungarian Willy Orban inside the area, turning it with his head towards the right post, followed by Nkunko with his right foot into the net (76).
And the substitutes had an impact on the course of the match with the chances of Hungarian Dominic Zubozslay (82) and Spaniard Dani Olmo, who dropped the ball in front of him in the penalty area and hit it with a strong shot that passed next to the post (86), so that the two teams decided to extend.
Freiburg missed the opportunity to approach the title when substitute Yannick Haberer hit the ball, which was touched by Hungarian goalkeeper Peter Golache, before hitting the post and preparing in front of the other Bosnian substitute, Ermedino Demirovic, with the goal in front of him, but he shot it over the crossbar in a strange way (104).
Freiburg had luck again in the second extra period, after the crossbar denied Haberer the second goal after his powerful shot was removed from outside the area (115).
The end of the match witnessed a fiery atmosphere after Leipzig demanded a penalty kick for Olmo after a foul by Hoefler, but the referee did not grant it after resorting to “VAR” (118).
In the penalty shootout, Leipzig scored by Nkunko, Orban, Olmo and Benjamin Henrichs, while Freiburg substitute Nils Petersen scored, and captain Christian Ganter missed over the bar, before substitute Kevin Schlutterbeek scored, while Demirovic’s ball rebounded from the crossbar, giving his former team the title.
Bayern Munich holds the record for the number of titles in the competition with 20 titles, far ahead of its closest pursuers Werder Bremen (6 titles) and the trio of Schalke, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt (5 each).
© 2022 AFP