'One foot in Berlin' - 3rd tier Saarbrücken aim for German Cup final
Giant killing Saarbrücken are just one victory away from becoming the second team from the third division to reach a German Cup final, and they will like their chances.
Borussia Mönchengladbach became Saarbrücken's latest scalp thanks to a stoppage time 2-1 winner from Kai Brünker in the quarter-finals on Tuesday night.
Second tier Kaiserslautern are their semi-final opponent on April 2 en route to the May 25 final in Berlin. The match will be in Saarbrücken because teams below the second division play all Cup games at home.
Saarbrücken continued their remarkable run in the competition which had previously seen them beat second division Karlsruhe, record Cup winners Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt.
"I am so proud of everyone. We have ousted, Bayern, Frankfurt and Gladbach and are in the semi-finals, and have one foot in Berlin. We only have one more hurdle to take. That's amazing," Brünker said.
Coach Rüdiger Ziehl added: "It is a miracle but also a little bit of quality. Especially if you are able to pounce like this right at the end."
Saarbrücken emulated their best best run in the Cup with the semi-final berth.
They last went that far in 2020, as the only fourth-tier team to achieve this feat, amd will now aim to go one step further against former Bundesliga champions and twice Cup winners Kaiserslautern.
"Fantastic game. Certainly a highlight for every football romantic," Brünker said.
The only previous third division team to reach the final were Hertha Berlin's reserves, back in 1993 when they lost the decider 1-0 against Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen could be involved again this term as they are favourites in the other semi-final on April 3 against second division Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Xabi Alonso's team are unbeaten in all of their 36 season games to date, are 10 points ahead at the top of the Bundesliga and also eyeing a Europa League quarter-final berth.
