Leverkusen end Saarbrücken's dream run in German Cup

Bayer Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz has targeted a first German Cup triumph for nearly 30 years after his team brushed aside fourth division Saarbrücken 3-0.

Midfielder Kerem Demirbay set up two goals within 10 first-half minutes for Moussa Diaby and Lucas Alario to put the Bundesliga outfit in control at the Hermann-Neuberger-Stadion in south-western Germany on Tuesday night.

Demirbay laid on his side's third for Karim Bellarabi just before the hour mark.

The club celebrated its progress on its Twitter account.

"It was a semi-final and it doesn't matter whether you're playing against a fourth division team or a Bundesliga side," said Demirbay. "The only thing that matters is getting to the final. I'm proud of the team and really happy."

Saarbrücken coach Peter Kwasniok urged his men before the game to seize their chance for history.

Lack of competition
But without any competitive matches since German football was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Saarbrucken's rustiness showed against players who had been involved in five matches following the resumption of the Bundesliga on 16 May.

"We lost and that is bad for our state of mind most of all," Kwasniok told Sky TV. "It bothered me that we weren't tough enough." 

The victory ended Saarbrücken's extraordinary surge to the last four during which they disposed of two teams from the second division as well as top flight Koln and Fortuna Dusseldorf.

"I had no doubts that we would win," Bosz told Sky TV after a match played behind closed doors. "But you have to respect Saarbrücken. My boys were focused and the game was over after the first two goals."

Chance for glory
Leverkusen were last in the German Cup final in 2009. They lost that showdown 1-0 to Werder Bremen.

Eleven years on, Bremen languish in the Bundesliga drop zone fighting to save their status while Leverkusen are in the hunt for a place in the top four and access to next season's Uefa Champions League.

"You don't get many chances to play in a final," added Bosz who won the Dutch Cup three times with Feyenoord.

"You play a final to win it. That will be the next task."

Leverkusen have only lifted the German Cup once in their 115 history. That triumph came in 1993 against Hertha Berlin's reserve side who played in the third division.

Since then second teams have been barred from the competition. To hoist the 2020 crown, Leverkusen will face either the cup holders Bayern Munich or Eintracht Frankfurt. They play for their place in the final on Wednesday night at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

"The fact we're talking about 1993 again shows how important it is to win titles," added Bosz. "That victory in 1993 was a long time ago and that's why the players, us as coaches and the club, want to win titles. The German Cup is an opportunity to do that."