Wolfsburg and Bayern Face Upsets in DFB-Pokal
Wolfsburg’s Reign Ends, Hoffenheim Upsets Champions
In a stunning turn of events, reigning DFB-Pokal champions VfL Wolfsburg crashed out in the quarterfinals after suffering a 0-1 defeat at the hands of TSG Hoffenheim. Despite their remarkable run of 52 victories in the competition, Wolfsburg’s hopes were dashed by Ereleta Memeti’s second-half goal. Hoffenheim’s triumph marked the first time Wolfsburg had been eliminated before the semifinals since 2015.
Wolfsburg’s defeat came just days after a disappointing goalless draw in the league against 1. FC Köln. Despite having the better of the chances, the Wolves were unable to find the net, and Hoffenheim punished their profligacy.
Bayern Scrapes Through, Frankfurt Pushes Champions to the Limit
Bayern Munich also faced an uphill battle against Bundesliga leaders Eintracht Frankfurt. The Bavarians were forced into extra time after Carolin Simon’s unfortunate own goal handed Frankfurt a slender advantage. However, Jovana Damnjanovic came to Bayern’s rescue with a late equalizer, sending the tie to extra time.
In the additional period, Glodis Viggosdottir and Momoko Tanikawa struck to put Bayern in the driver’s seat. Damnjanovic then sealed the victory with her second goal of the night, securing a 4-1 victory for the record-holding champions.
Bremen Makes History, Hamburg and Gladbach Impress
Werder Bremen made history by reaching the semifinals for the first time, defeating Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 thanks to Marissa Mühlhaus’s goal on the stroke of halftime.
Second-division clubs Hamburger SV and Borussia Mönchengladbach also advanced to the last four. HSV celebrated their first-ever match at the iconic Volksparkstadion with a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, with Emilia Hirche and Vildan Kerdesler getting on the scoresheet. Gladbach, on the other hand, defeated Saarbrücken 1-0 to continue their unlikely cup run.
Halbfinal Draw to Determine Fate of Remaining Teams
The draw for the semifinals will take place on Monday, March 13th, at 8:30 PM CET. The remaining four teams will be vying for a spot in the final, which is scheduled for May 28th in Cologne.
With the top teams facing upsets and second-division clubs making waves, this year’s DFB-Pokal promises to deliver more thrilling encounters and unexpected results.
