Bayer Leverkusen Ends 4th-Tier Saarbrucken's Run, Reaches DFB Pokal Final

Bayer Leverkusen will face either Bayern Munich or Eintracht Frankfurt in the final.

VÖLKLINGEN, Germany (AP) — Fourth-division Saarbrücken’s record-breaking run to the German Cup semifinals came to an end with a 3-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in an empty stadium on Tuesday.

The coronavirus pandemic deprived Saarbrücken of the home crowd which had roared on its team as it knocked out four clubs from higher divisions, becoming the first club from such a low league to reach a cup semifinal.

Leverkusen will face either Bayern Munich or Eintracht Frankfurt in its first German Cup final since 2009. The club is chasing its first trophy since 1993.

Saarbrücken had to win a regional cup last year to even qualify for this season’s German Cup. It was playing for the first time since March because its season in the South-West Regional League was abandoned amid the pandemic. The defense showed signs of rust for Leverkusen’s goals.

First Kerem Demirbay played a pass over the top for Moussa Diaby to sprint behind Saarbrücken’s static defense and jab the ball into the net. 

What a pass! 😍

A peach of an assist from Kerem Demirbay for the goal that set @bayer04_en on their way to Berlin ⚽#DFBPokal #FCSB04 pic.twitter.com/dqIHD3uYQl

— The DFB-Pokal (@DFBPokal_EN) June 9, 2020

Lucas Alario was gifted the second goal when Saarbrücken’s goalkeeper and defender misunderstood one another and collided when trying to intercept a cross.

Karim Bellarabi made it 3-0 in the 58th after the Saarbrücken defense hesitated too long in clearing the ball.

German fan groups have frequently protested against the game’s governing body since the Bundesliga restarted last month in empty stadiums, accusing it of prioritizing big teams’ finances over the health of the game as a whole. Saarbrücken’s supporters were no different.

“Empty stands, full cash registers,” one large banner read in a message aimed at the German soccer federation and the Bundesliga’s governing body. “Your business is still ill.”

Saarbrücken will play in the third division next season after the decision was taken last month to decide its league by points per game.

That ensured promotion for Saarbrücken, which is based near Germany’s border with France and briefly played in the French league system following World War II. The club played top-division football in Germany for spells of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but hasn’t featured in the Bundesliga since 1993.