LEVERKUSEN – Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen overwhelmed second-tier Fortuna Dusseldorf 4-0 on April 3 to reach the German Cup final – stretching their unbeaten run to 40 matches in all competitions this season.
First-half goals from Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli and Florian Wirtz put the game to bed as Dusseldorf struggled to cope with the hosts’ pace.
Germany international Wirtz added a fourth with a penalty on the hour to give Xabi Alonso’s team another shot at winning a major trophy for the first time in 31 years.
Leverkusen will face Kaiserslautern, who ousted third division Saarbrucken 2-0 on April 3, in the final on May 25. Leverkusen won the German Cup in 1993 and have been runners-up three times since.
They are also on course to win the Bundesliga for the first time, as they hold a 13-point cushion over second-placed Bayern Munich with seven games to play.
Alonso’s men are also through to the Europa League last eight, where they face West Ham United.
“It’s a very good result and we managed to qualify for the final. It’s fun to celebrate with the fans and to see the enjoyment when you look in their faces,” said Wirtz.
“We’re happy we could make them happy today.”
The 20-year-old midfielder, who is a major target of transfer speculation, told ZDF: “I’m not going to talk about those topics tonight – we’re going to celebrate.”
Standing next to the German Cup, Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah added: “We’re glad that we’ve got a chance to grab that beautiful thing there in the final.”
Asked if he wanted to touch it, Tah declined, saying: “We’re waiting.”
Dusseldorf’s hopes of joining Kaiserslautern in the first-ever all second-division final took an early hit, Frimpong slamming in from close range after seven minutes.
Wirtz, again pulling the strings for Leverkusen, found Adli who blasted home confidently to double the lead.
Leverkusen scored a third after winning the ball back and working it quickly to Wirtz, who shed a defender and finished past Florian Kastenmeier.
After 60 minutes, Patrik Schick’s header connected with the hand of Dusseldorf’s Matthias Zimmerman, allowing Wirtz to score his second from the spot.
“It is very important for the last game of the season to be a final,” said Alonso, who is staying at Leverkusen despite interest from major European clubs that include Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
“We now have a super chance. It has been a long road. We started back in July with new players. But they have done it well...
“We now have to enjoy the moment that we have earned the chance to be in the final.”
There was more good news for Leverkusen as striker Victor Boniface made a second-half substitute appearance.
The Nigerian underwent a thigh muscle surgery in January and was sidelined for three months.
AFP, REUTERS
