Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen have advanced to the semifinals of the German Cup, joining title-holders Bayern Munich and fourth-tier Saarbrücken in the final four. The semifinal draw is to be held on Sunday.
“If you’ve been to Berlin before, you want to get there again,” said a smiling Kevin Trapp following Eintracht Frankfurt’s 2-0 win over Werder Bremen in the Commerzbank-Arena on Wednesday night.
This was the penultimate step on the way to what Eintracht and their fans hope will be a third appearance in the German Cup final in Berlin in four years, having lost in the final in 2017 and raising the Cup after a Cinderella victory over the mighty Bayern the following year.
It was a victory that added to Frankfurt’s growing reputation of being a cup team, not only domestically, but in the Europa League. But success in cup competitions also require a bit of luck, and in this case, Eintracht benefitted from an important call that went their way.
“It was a lucky call for us and the key moment of the game,” Frankfurt coach Adi Hütter told ARD public television after the match.
He was referring to the play that turned the match, a penalty in the first-half injury time, which as a result of VAR. The video review showed that as Werder’s Ludwig Augustinsson challenged for an aerial ball, it hit his hand as it was above his shoulders. Andre Silva converted the penalty clinically, and Werder coach Florian Kohfeldt received the yellow card for his protestations.
Daichi Kamada put the game away in the second by volleying home a lovely cross from Filip Kostic, who would later become something of a villain.
