The German Cup, the DfB-Pokal, completed its semifinal round on April 19 & 20 with a pair of fascinating matchups in a knockout competition that has provided upset after upset.
RB Leipzig, the strongest team left in the competition upon the start of the semifinals, topped Union Berlin 2-1 with a 90th minute goal from Emil Forsberg, capping a comeback after trailing 1-0 at halftime. Union Berlin can be proud of its campaign, reaching the semifinals of the domestic cup and also currently sitting sixth in the Bundesliga table.
Also with an impressive showing was 2.Bundesliga side Hamburg, who fell just short of the finals with a 3-1 semifinal loss to Freiburg. Hamburg produced the best showing of the many second-tier sides that went deep in the competition, but it just wasn't enough for a memorable run to the finals as three first-half goals from Freiburg put the Bundesliga side clean through.
The final matchup between RB Leipzig and Freiburg represents the first DFB-Pokal final without either of Bayern Munich of Borussia Dortmund since the 2011 competition where Schalke topped second-tier MSV Duisburg.
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How to watch DfB-Pokal
- Dates: 7th August 2021-21st May 2022
- TV Channels: ESPN, ESPN2
- Streaming: fuboTV, ESPN+, watchESPN
2022 German Cup Semifinals
With most of the elite teams in Germany out of the competition, this year's tournament offers a chance for a new name on the trophy.
RB Leipzig were the strongest team left in the cup as the semifinals began, and they also have previous experience in the competition having reached the final last year, beaten in that match by a rampant Borussia Dortmund.
They have never won the cup before and this season offers a perfect chance to do so, as the presence of smaller clubs gives Leipzig a real chance.
Hamburg SV won its all-2.Bundesliga clash in the quarterfinals and reached the semis, falling just short of an even more memorable run with an unlikely place in the solid showing in the domestic Cup could provide an additional confidence boost.
| Date | Match | |
| Tues, Apr. 19 | Hamburger SV 1, SC Freiburg 3 | Highlights |
| Wed, Apr. 20 | RB Leipzig 2, Union Berlin 1 | Highlights |
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What happened to the big German clubs?
A number of high-profile upsets in the earlier rounds has left many of the larger German clubs out of the competition in the later stages.
Bayern Munich was dumped out of the competition way back in October in the second round after an embarrassing 5-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach that saw Breel Embolo and Ramy Bensebaini both strike braces. Bayer Leverkusen was also knocked out in the second round thanks to a loss at home to Karlsruher SC.
Bayern's rivals Borussia Dortmund was ousted one round later with a 2-1 loss to St. Pauli in the Round of 16 in January. The Round of 16 also saw Gladbach dumped out by Hannover, while Koln was dropped by Hamburg on penalties and Mainz fell out on a loss to VfL Bochum.
