Arminia Bielefeld vs Bayer Leverkusen

A place in the DFB-Pokal final is at stake as Arminia Bielefeld and Bayer Leverkusen square off in a ‘David vs Goliath’ semi-final tie at the Schuco Arena.

After salvaging a point against Hannover II over the weekend to stay within reach of the second-tier promotion race, third-tier contenders Arminia Bielefeld now turn their attention to a monumental DFB-Pokal clash against the reigning champions. No strangers to upsetting top-flight opposition, Michel Kniat’s men have already stunned Union Berlin, Freiburg, and Werder Bremen en route to the semi-finals, proving they are no pushovers. All four of their DFB-Pokal matches this season have been played at home, with ‘Die Arminen’ netting at least twice on each occasion. However, Leverkusen’s visit presents their sternest challenge yet, especially given Bielefeld’s history of falling short in all three previous DFB-Pokal meetings between the sides. Nonetheless, fans should enjoy a spectacle, with eight of Arminia’s last nine home outings featuring 3+ goals.

Locked in a fierce battle with Bayern Munich to defend their Bundesliga crown, Leverkusen arguably have their best shot at silverware in this competition. Xabi Alonso’s men rediscovered their scoring touch in style last Friday, eventually breaking Bochum down (3-1) to make it seven goals in two games after enduring three consecutive defeats without scoring. This tie marks Die Werkself’s third DFB-Pokal semi-final appearance in the last six seasons, with both previous runs culminating in a trip to the final. Furthermore, playing on the road shouldn’t trouble them, as they’ve won five of their last six DFB-Pokal away fixtures – four of them without conceding.