Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface’s Bayer Leverkusen have crashed out of the DFB Pokal, losing 2-1 to third division side, Arminia Bielefeld in their semi-final encounter at the SchücoArena on Tuesday.
Bayer Leverkusen’s journey to the semi-final had been impressive, with victories over Carl Zeiss Jena, Elversberg, Bayern Munich, and Cologne. They faced a determined Arminia Bielefeld side, who had been on a historic run, defeating three top-flight teams, including Union Berlin, Freiburg, and Werder Bremen.
Despite scoring in their previous match, Victor Boniface was named on the bench as Patrik Schick led the attack for Bayer Leverkusen. Nathan Tella, returning from an injury which sidelined him for some weeks was also on the bench.
Motivated to reach the final for the second year in a row, Bayer Leverkusen scored an early goal as Jonathan Tah headed his effort into the roof of the net to give the defending champions an advantage. However, their lead didn’t last long as Marius Wörl scored three minutes later to level the scoreline.
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Arminia Bielefeld took the lead on the stroke of half-time as a pinpoint delivery from Louis Oppie found Maximilian Grosser at the back post, who managed to apply a crucial finish with an outstretched foot to turn the game around going into the break.
The second half saw Xabi Alonso introduce Victor Boniface in the 53rd minute before bringing on Nathan Tella in the 77th minute in a bid to inspire a comeback. However, Arminia Bielefeld remained resolute in defense, protecting their one-goal lead and ultimately securing their spot in the DFB Pokal final for the first time ever.
The historic victory for Arminia Bielefeld means that they will now face the winner between VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig in the final of the DFB Pokal. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen will shift their focus to the Bundesliga where they hope to mount a title challenge against league leaders Bayern Munich.
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