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Leipzig are through to the final, where they will play either Borussia Dortmund or Holstein Kiel on May 13. Before that, they travel to Dortmund in the Bundesliga next weekend. As for Werder, their attention turns solely to securing their top-flight status; starting at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
Substitute Emil Forsberg was the hero as he climbed off the bench to snatch a dramatic late winner for RB Leipzig, who overcame Werder Bremen 2-1 to advance to the DFB-Pokal final. After a goalless 90 minutes, Hwang Hee-chan broke the deadlock early in extra-time, only for his strike to be cancelled out by Leonardo Bittencourt. The match appeared to be heading for a penalty shootout, but Forsberg struck in stoppage time to keep Julian Nagelsmann’s side on course for their first major silverware.
120′ + 4′ FULL-TIME: WERDER BREMEN 1-2 RB LEIPZIG
120′ + 1′ Hwang demonstrated terrific vision to nod the ball across the area for Forsberg, who made no mistake from close range.
E. Forsberg
Goal
120′ + 1′ FORSBERG!!! 2-1 LEIPZIG! That must be the winner! The visitors have stolen it right at the death! Kampl’s diagonal ball is nodded across the area by goalscorer Hwang, who turns provider as Forsberg applies the finishing touch.
P. Bargfrede
C. Groß
119′ Philipp Bargfrede replaces Gross for the hosts.
118′ Leipzig appeal for a penalty as Poulsen goes down under the challenge of Moisander. But the referee is not interested and play goes on.
116′ We are into the last five minutes of extra-time. Penalties are fast approaching at Weserstadion. Well, that is assuming we don’t see a dramatic winner here.
E. Forsberg
C. Nkunku
114′ A change for the visitors with Emil Forsberg coming on in place of Nkunku.
112′ It is worth remembering that Werder entered this tie having lost each of their last seven Bundesliga games. However, they are holding their own during these latter stages of extra-time.
109′ You feel it will take a moment of individual brilliance to determine the outcome of this semi-final. Henrichs was not too far away from doing just that a moment ago.
107′ Good pace and power from Henrichs, who pounces on the loose ball and bursts into the box. He gets a shot away, but it deflects wide off Moisander.
106′ Off we go again!
This tie is finely poised heading into the final 15 minutes. It will be interesting to see how both sides approach this; will they go for the winner, or hold out for penalties?
You wait over 90 minutes for a goal, and then two come along at once! Hwang Hee-chan put Leipzig in front inside the opening three minutes of extra-time. But out of nowhere, Leonardo Bittencourt punished a rare Dayot Upamecano mistake to equalise.
105′ + 3′ HALF-TIME: WERDER BREMEN 1-1 RB LEIPZIG
L. Bittencourt
Goal
105′ + 1′ BITTENCOURT!!! 1-1! What a mistake by Upamecano! Werder send a hopeful ball forward, which Upamecano looks to cushion back to the goalkeeper. But he significantly underhits the ball and Bittencourt is quickly onto it, before rounding Gulacsi and slotting into the empty net.
105′ We are going to have three minutes of stoppage time at the end of this first half.
103′ Leipzig looking good value for their lead as we approach the end of the first period in extra-time. They have taken their chance when it arrived, while limiting their opponents.
B. Henrichs
Angeliño
101′ Benjamin Henrichs comes on for the visitors with Angelino making way.
P. Gulácsi
Yellow Card
101′ Gulacsi is booked for time-wasting after taking a little too long before eventually sending his goal-kick downfield.
K. Kampl
Yellow Card
99′ Kampl catches his opponent with a late challenge and can have few complaints as he goes into the book.
K. Möhwald
D. Selke
96′ The hosts make a change as Kevin Mohwald replaces Selke.
95′ It may have taken 93 minutes, but Leipzig will not care in the slightest. In fairness, they have looked the more dangerous side throughout the contest, and finally edge their noses in front.
Hwang Hee-Chan
Goal
93′ HWANG!!! 1-0 LEIPZIG! The visitors have the breakthrough! The substitute breaks the deadlock for Leipzig; reacting quickly as the ball ricocheted kindly into his path, before calmly slotting past Pavlenka from close range.
92′ Good early pressure from Werder, who go straight onto the attack. But Leipzig stand firm to deal with the danger.
91′ We are back underway as Werder get the ball rolling in extra-time.
Remember, a showdown with either Borussia Dortmund or Holstein Kiel awaits the winner of this tie. Those two sides do battle on Saturday.
It’s extra-time at Weserstadion! Following that tremendous save from Pavlenka, we are going to have an additional 30 minutes to determine the winner of this semi-final.
90′ + 5′ FULL-TIME: WERDER BREMEN 0-0 RB LEIPZIG
90′ + 4′ WHAT A SAVE! Great reflexes from Pavlenka! Another header for Poulsen, who generates plenty of power into it. But he is brilliantly denied by the Werder keeper.
90′ + 3′ Just wide! Poulsen almost does it again in this competition. The substitute climbs at the far post, but sees his header creep just the wrong side of the woodwork.
90′ + 2′ We are into the second of four additional minutes at the end of this game. Leipzig have the chance to pump the ball forward into the Werder box.
Hwang Hee-Chan
A. Sørloth
90′ The visitors turn to the bench with Hwang Hee-chan replacing Sorloth.
90′ CHANCE! Gebre Selassie just needed a touch! The defender ghosted in after a corner was flicked on towards the far post, but he could not apply the vital touch.
88′ This is a chance for Werder. Strong centre-forward play by Selke culminates in him drawing a foul out of Orban. Can they capitalise here?
85′ As the clock continues to tick down, extra-time seems inevitable. Neither side have truly threatened over the past few minutes, with Leipzig losing their impetus.
82′ Of course, Leipzig are still in the Bundesliga title race; albeit their hopes of capturing the title are slim. They are currently second and trail leaders Bayern by seven points with three games remaining, so it would take a miraculous set of circumstances for them to eventually don the crown.
80′ Just 10 minutes of regulation time remain at Weserstadion. Can either side find a dramatic winner, or are we destined for an additional half an hour?
78′ OFF THE POST AGAIN! Once more, the woodwork denies Leipzig! Nkunku is the unlucky party on this occasion. The substitute bursts into the box before his deflected effort is somehow tipped onto the post by Pavlenka.
76′ Poulsen is Leipzig’s top scorer in this season’s DFB-Pokal with five goals so far. Can he continue his impressive run in the competition by finding a late winner here?
Y. Poulsen
M. Sabitzer
74′ The visitors also turn to the bench; introducing Yussuf Poulsen in favour of Sabitzer.
L. Bittencourt
J. Mbom
73′ Another change for the hosts sees Mbom make way for Leonardo Bittencourt.
72′ That was more like it from the hosts. If Kohfeldt’s side are to progress here, they must continue to pose a threat in the Leipzig box.
70′ Just wide. Almost an immediate impact from Osako, who climbs to meet Augustinsson’s free-kick but can only glance his header wide of the target.
68′ That is twice that the woodwork has come to Werder’s rescue in this second half. They must look to swing the momentum in their favour by trying to create a greater threat at the other end of the field.
Y. Ōsako
N. Füllkrug
66′ A change for the hosts with Yuya Osako introduced in favour of Fullkrug.
65′ OFF THE BAR! The woodwork denies Leipzig! An inviting ball into the box is glanced towards goal, only for the crossbar to come to Werder’s rescue. Mukiele looks to react quickly and nod home the rebound, but Mbom is alert and clears in the nick of time.
63′ The visitors continue to threaten and surely it is only a matter of time before they find the breakthrough. Can the hosts weather the storm?
61′ Can Werder gain a foothold in proceedings? Leipzig have dominated the opening quarter of an hour in this second period, while the hosts have struggled to get out of their own half so far.
59′ Not far away! Angelino steps up to take the resulting free-kick, but his floating effort drifts just wide of the target.
58′ Good opportunity for Leipzig! The visitors are awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the box after Moisander trips Olmo.
56′ A slight concern for both sides as Sorloth and Pavlenka stay down following an aerial collision as they contested a high ball into the box. Both players just take a moment to recover, but are soon back on their feet.
54′ Leipzig very unfortunate not to break the deadlock there. The goals have flowed more easily for them in the recent history of this fixture. In fact, they have found the net 12 times in the last four meetings, while conceding just once.
52′ OFF THE POST! Leipzig’s pressure almost culminates in the opening goal! Following a neat move, the ball comes to Mukiele, but he sees his powerful strike tipped onto the woodwork by Pavlenka.
50′ Leipzig have been the more lively of the two sides so far; enjoying most of the possession and threatening the Werder goal.
48′ Of course, there is still a long way to go, but extra-time and penalties will follow should the goalless scoreline remain. Who will strike first?
46′ Leipzig get the second half underway!
C. Nkunku
A. Haidara
46′ The visitors make a change at the break as Haidara makes way for Christopher Nkunku.
The hosts also arguably had the best chance of the half with Josh Sargent shooting wide from close range. The Green-Whites will hope that miss does not come back to bite them.
Nothing to separate the sides so far at Weserstadion. Werder and Leipzig are still seeking the breakthrough in this semi-final. The hosts thought they had been awarded a penalty towards the end of the half, only for it to be ruled out following the referee’s consulation with VAR.
45′ + 5′ HALF-TIME: WERDER BREMEN 0-0 RB LEIPZIG
45′ + 3′ The cancellation of the penalty call results in a drop-ball outside the Leipzig area. Werder look to maintain the pressure on their visitors, who stand firm to eventually see out their threat.
45′ + 1′ NO PENALTY! Following a lengthy consulation with his pitchside monitor, the referee rules that the incident was not sufficient enough to warrant penalisation. A huge sigh of relief for Leipzig.
45′ PENALTY TO WERDER! The referee points to the spot after Mukiele is penalised for a trip in the box. But wait… we’re going to VAR!
43′ An experienced referee, Mr Grafe is a former FIFA-listed official who also boasts experience in the Champions League and Europa League. When he is not refereeing, the 47-year-old works as a sports scientist.
41′ Tempers appear to boil over for a moment as a brief altercation ensues between the two sides. However, it is handbags at most and the referee quickly gets everything back under control.
40′ Five minutes of the first half remaining at Weserstadion. Can either side find the opening goal before the break?
38′ As mentioned earlier, Werder boast a proud DFB-Pokal record with those six titles. They also hold the record for winning the most consecutive home games in the competition with 37 between 1988 and 2019. Their impressive run came to an end courtesy of a 3-2 defeat against Bayern.
36′ The hosts force a corner, from which the ball falls to Veljkovic on the volley. But the defender is unable to direct his effort towards goal.
A. Haidara
Yellow Card
35′ Haidara receives the first yellow card of the game following a rash challenge.
34′ Werder have enjoyed a solid run to the semi-finals of this tournament. However, it is worth noting that Leipzig are the first Bundesliga side they have faced during this run.
32′ Sargent is Werder’s joint-top scorer in the Bundesliga this season with five goals. Therefore, he would definitely have expected to do better there. That was a big chance for the hosts, who will hope it does not come back to haunt them.
30′ WHAT A CHANCE! Sargent has to score! The American is alert to latch onto Selke’s flick and demonstrates brilliant strength to hold off the challenge of Konate. However, he can only slot the ball wide with only Gulacsi to beat.
29′ Still goalless as we approach the half-hour mark in this game. Leipzig have looked the more threatening going forward thus far, but Werder will grow in confidence the longer the tie remains deadlocked.
27′ Konate is back in the thick of the action. The defender has been part of a Leipzig back line that has kept four clean sheets in their last seven games. Can they continue that fine run here?
25′ A slight break in play with Konate needing attention following an accidental clash of heads with Selke. It looked painful but thankfully, the defender is soon back on his feet and should be more than okay to continue.
23′ Sorloth latches onto a neat Kampl through ball before dragging his shot wide from a tight angle. But had the former Crystal Palace striker scored, it would not have counted as the offside flag had been raised.
21′ The hosts look to apply the pressure and Sargent seeks out the run of Mbom. However, Sabitzer makes up good ground to put his body in the way and prevent a clear sight on goal.
19′ As for Werder, their run to the semi-finals has provided a welcome distraction from their Bundesliga struggles. In fact, they have lost each of their last seven in the league, and are just one point above the relegation play-off place with three games remaining.
17′ It is worth remembering that Leipzig know what it takes to reach the final of this competition, having done so during the 2018-19 season. There, they were beaten 3-0 by Bayern.
15′ Not a bad effort! Leipzig look to find a way through the stubborn Werder defence and the ball eventually breaks kindly for Olmo. The midfielder goes for an exquisite chip that floats just wide of the far post.
13′ It has been a turbulent week for Leipzig following the announcement that Nagelsmann will replace Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich next season. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old will be eager to end his two-year spell in charge by delivering the first major silverware in the club’s short history.
11′ Leipzig with a good opportunity to get the ball into the box as Angelino swings over a free-kick. However, Pavlenka is alert and punches the delivery away to safety.
9′ The Green-Whites’ 2009 triumph came following a 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the final. Mesut Ozil scored the winner for Werder, whose side also boasted Torsten Frings, Claudio Pizarro and Hugo Almeida.
7′ Werder do boast a proud record in the DFB-Pokal with six titles; a tally only bettered by Bayern Munich’s 20. Ironically, the Green-Whites most recently lifted the trophy on May 30, 2009; exactly 11 days after Leipzig were formed!
5′ At the other end, neat play culminates in Sargent having a sight on goal. But the American’s tame effort from a tight angle is easily collected by Gulacsi.
4′ Good save! Pavlenka called into action and the keeper demonstrates tremendous reflexes to keep out Sorloth’s powerful downward header.
3′ Leipzig enjoying most of the possession early on. They have won each of the last four meetings between the sides, including a resounding 4-1 success here three weeks ago.
1′ The experienced Manuel Grafe is our referee today. He blows his whistle and Werder get the ball rolling.
The players are making their way out onto the field and kick-off is moments away.
Both sides are yet to concede a goal in this season’s competition. Barring a penalty shootout, one of those unblemished records will have to go today, but whose will it be? We are not far away from finding out now!
Julian Nagelsmann also makes three alterations to Leipzig’s starting line-up. Dayot Upamecano and skipper Marcel Sabitzer are recalled after missing the 2-0 win over Stuttgart last weekend, while Nordi Mukiele also returns at right wing-back. The visitors have good options on the bench in Emil Forsberg and Yussuf Poulsen, who is their top scorer in this season’s DFB-Pokal with five goals.
Florian Kohfeldt makes three changes to the Werder side that began last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Union Berlin. Milos Veljkovic returns in defence and Jean-Manuel Mbom is recalled in midfield, while Davie Selke partners Niclas Fullkrug up front. Omer Toprak, Nick Woltemade and Luca Plogmann remain sidelined through injury.
SUBS: Josep Martinez, Yussuf Poulsen, Emil Forsberg, Hwang Hee-chan, Tyler Adams, Lukas Klostermann, Christopher Nkunku, Konrad Laimer, Benjamin Henrichs.
LEIPZIG (3-1-4-2): Peter Gulacsi; Willi Orban, Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano; Kevin Kampl; Nordi Mukiele, Dani Olmo, Amadou Haidara, Angelino; Alexander Sorloth, Marcel Sabitzer.
SUBS: Michael Zetterer, Eren Dinkci, Yuya Osako, Kevin Mohwald, Leonardo Bittencourt, Patrick Erras, Romano Schmid, Julian Rieckmann, Philipp Bargfrede.
WERDER BREMEN (3-5-2): Jiri Pavlenka; Milos Veljkovic, Christian Gross, Niklas Moisander; Theodor Gebre Selassie, Maximilian Eggestein, Jean-Manuel Mbom, Josh Sargent, Ludwig Augustinsson; Niclas Fullkrug, Davie Selke.
The first of the semi-finals gets underway shortly with both sides aiming to book their place in the showpiece on May 13. There, they will face either Borussia Dortmund or Holstein Kiel.
Hello everyone and welcome to live text coverage of the DFB-Pokal semi-final between Werder Bremen and RB Leipzig at Weserstadion.
Hwang Hee-Chan
Assist