Bayer Leverkusen is close to making history in German soccer by reaching the final of the German Cup after defeating local rival Fortuna Duesseldorf 4-0 in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Florian Wirtz scored two goals for Xabi Alonso’s team, which is also leading the Bundesliga by 13 points, maintaining an unbeaten streak of 40 games in all competitions this season.
Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka emphasized that the team didn’t underestimate Fortuna, despite being a second-division side. He stated that Leverkusen always plays at full throttle, giving 100% effort.
Leverkusen will face second-tier Kaiserslautern in the cup final on May 25 at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Kaiserslautern defeated third-division Saarbruecken with a 2-0 win on Tuesday.
Leverkusen took the lead early in the match, with Jeremie Frimpong scoring in the seventh minute. The team continued to dominate, adding two more goals through Amine Adli and Florian Wirtz before halftime. Wirtz scored again from the penalty spot later in the game.
The return of striker Victor Boniface, who was sidelined with injury since December, added to Leverkusen’s joy. Additionally, coach Xabi Alonso’s decision to stay with the club boosted morale, especially after Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel conceded the Bundesliga title race.
Despite being the underdog, Fortuna fought hard, especially after star midfielder Ao Tanaka was ruled out due to emergency surgery to remove his appendix. Tanaka showed his support for the team from his hospital bed before the game.
