It’s impressive how some matches seem to have a movie script. Thus, it was the game between Leverkusen and Stuttgart in the quarter-finals of the German Cup. In dramatic fashion and with a late goal, Bayern sealed the victory and secured their place in the next stage of the competition.
Leverkusen remains undefeated
The isolated leader of the German national league was twice behind on the scoreboard but found the strength to react and confirm the classification. With this, Leverkusen reached a mark of 30 games without losing in all competitions this season.
The match was very marked by the initial balance between the two teams. Little by little, Stuttgart neutralized the offensive actions, making life difficult for the home team after scoring the first goal. Thus, the visitors managed to take their first-half advantage into the break.
Leverkusen’s improvement in the second half of the match was clear and almost immediate. Robert Andrich scored the equalizer in the 5th minute, giving the game balance again. However, in the 13th minute, Chris Fürich returned to add drama to the game, putting Stuttgart ahead once again.
So with 2-1 on the scoreboard for the visitors, Bayern increased their need to tie the game. The team became more offensive and began to be able to break the opponent’s defensive lines more frequently. The equalizer came in the 22nd minute with Amine Adli, which increased the pressure on Stuttgart even more.
And when it seemed like everything would end the same, when the lights went out, at the very end of the game, the turning goal happened. Bayer bet on the aerial ball and had the presence of Jonathan Tah in the area to complete the cross and make it 3-2 in the 45th minute of the final stage.
Leverkusen has an incredible mark
To get an idea of the milestone achieved by Bayern, something similar had been seen since the 11-12 season. At the time, Juventus from Italy did not lose their matches in all the competitions they played.
“It’s clear that this victory gives us a lot of momentum, a lot of energy for the task ahead,” Tah said.
Leverkusen, whose most recent major title win was the 1993 DFB Pokal, is still in contention for three titles this season, including the Europa League. With expectations high, it is expected that this 31-year fast will end this season.
The next big challenge
After the game, Leverkusen already turned the key and started thinking about their opponent on Saturday in the Bundesliga, the German national league. They will host the famous Bayern Munich, a team that has been ruling German football for a few years now. The Munich team is in second place, two points behind Leverkusen.
For the German Cup, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Kaiserslautern are already in the semi-finals, while Saarbrucken faces Borussia Monchengladbach in the remaining quarter-finals on Wednesday.