No FC Bayern. And no Borussia Dortmund. Instead of the two top German clubs, whose names have been engraved on the trophy eight times (FCB five times, BVB three times) in the past ten years alone, Hamburger SV, SC Freiburg, RB Leipzig and Union Berlin will be playing the title in the DFB Cup 2021/ 22 among themselves. In the first semi-final on Tuesday, second division side HSV will face Bundesliga side Freiburg, on Wednesday the “Red Bulls” and the “Iron” will complete the semi-finals. Of the SPORTBUZZER does the form check before the semifinals.
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Of the Hamburger SV is the last remaining second division team in the DFB Cup and has booked the ticket for the semifinals with victories over Braunschweig (3:2), Nuremberg (4:2), Cologne (4:3) and Karlsruhe (3:2). In view of the many goals conceded in the cup, however, the HSV season in the lower house of German football is going the opposite way: With 30 goals against, Tim Walter’s team has the best defense in the league. Nevertheless, the dream of returning to the Bundesliga threatens to burst at the fourth attempt. With four games left, the “Red Pants” are five points behind city rivals St. Pauli, who are in third place in the relegation round. After all, the Hanseatic League go into the cup semi-finals with a sense of achievement: against KSC, who were outnumbered, they managed an unchallenged 3-0 win at the weekend. The problem: Strong performances continue to alternate too often with setbacks, as the defeats against Nuremberg, Paderborn and Kiel in March and April revealed.
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Of the SC Freiburg is indisputably one of the biggest surprise teams this season – both in the DFB-Pokal, in which Würzburg (1-0), Osnabrück (3-2), Hoffenheim (4-1) and Bochum (2-1) could switch off, as well as in the Bundesliga. Christian Streich’s team is still on the road to success, especially in the upper house – and even has the Champions League in its sights four games before the end of the season. Fifth in the table is currently just one point behind fourth-placed Leverkusen. Anyone who had expected a slump in the Breisgau after the first half of the season was taught otherwise. Even for national coach Hansi Flick, the trip to Freiburg is always worthwhile: Christian Günter is no longer the only professional from the sports club who is part of the DFB team’s orbit, Nico Schlotterbeck also celebrated his debut in March. Freiburg travel to Hamburg with a 3-0 win over Bochum. It is the duel of the third best Bundesliga defense (34 goals conceded) against the best second division defense (30).
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A final in the capital? For Union Berlin Getting into the final at the city rivals’ venue would certainly be special in several respects. And the chances are not bad after the negative trend at the beginning of the year. In any case, the trend is correct. The earnings crisis after Max Kruse’s departure at the end of January is over. The win against Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0) was Union’s third in a row. Union has already managed 13 victories in the championship – a club record and sixth place in the Bundesliga. Players and coaches alike are aware that the Köpenickers can continue to make their mark in the football history books in the final spurt of the season. “Sensation comes very close to that,” said coach Urs Fischer on Easter Monday. So far, Union has eliminated Türkgücü Munich (1-0), Waldhof Mannheim (3-1), Hertha BSC (3-2) and FC St. Pauli (2-1) in the cup. With Leipzig, an opponent from the shelf above is now waiting.
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