News (engl.)

RB Leipzig have taken another step towards their fourth DFB-Pokal final in the past five years. The Saxons edged out Bundesliga rivals VfL Wolfsburg 1-0 in the quarter-finals on Wednesday night, joining defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart, and third-tier side Arminia Bielefeld in the final four.

In a hard-fought contest, a second-half penalty from Leipzig forward Benjamin Šeško proved decisive (69’), after the ball struck Kilian Fischer’s arm in the box. Wolfsburg, meanwhile, miss out on a semi-final spot for the first time since lifting the trophy nearly a decade ago.

Evenly-matched first half

This DFB-Pokal clash was the latest chapter in an ongoing cup rivalry between these two Bundesliga clubs; it was their sixth meeting in the competition in the last ten years, and Leipzig came into the tie with three wins to Wolfsburg’s two. Both sides started brightly, creating early chances. Just four minutes in, Leipzig’s Loïs Openda narrowly failed to connect at the near post, while Wolfsburg’s Joakim Maehle was inches away from converting a dangerous low cross at the other end (8’).

Despite RBL’s tag as slight favourites, having won back-to-back Pokal titles in 2022 and 2023, the visitors played with confidence. Wolfsburg, who thrashed the Red Bulls 5-1 in the Bundesliga in November, held their own and disrupted the hosts’ rhythm. As the half progressed, clear-cut chances became a rarity, with both teams cancelling each other out in midfield. However, just before the break, Patrick Wimmer came close to putting the Wolves ahead, only for Leipzig goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt to produce a brilliant reaction save at his near post (45’).

Šeško holds his nerve

The second half began with a bang. Wolfsburg’s Mohammed Amoura rattled the crossbar with a powerful header following a corner (48’), and just a minute later, Andreas Skov Olsen tested Vandevoordt with a long-range strike. The Red Bulls continued to build up well but came up against a well-organised VfL defence. Even so, they did manage to create openings. Openda found himself in space after a quick counter but saw his shot blocked twice (58’), while Šeško failed to generate enough power on a header from a David Raum free-kick (64’).

With RBL’s next attack, the decisive moment arrived. Kilian Fischer was unfortunate to see the ball strike his arm at close range in the box, prompting referee Tobias Reichel to award a penalty (66’). Šeško kept his cool, sending VfL keeper Marius Müller the wrong way to put RB Leipzig ahead (69’). It was the first goal Wolfsburg had conceded in this season’s DFB-Pokal.

Buoyed by the breakthrough, Leipzig pushed for a second, creating several chances to extend their lead. However, Wolfsburg remained in the contest, and substitute Kevin Behrens had a late opportunity to equalise (88’), only to miss the target.