Florian Wirtz scored goals in each half as Bayer Leverkusen defeated Fortuna Duesseldorf 4-0 at home on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final for the fifth time.
Leverkusen have a reputation for getting last-minute wins this season but were in complete control from start to finish against their second-division opponents.
Jeremie Frimpong scored early, with Amine Adli adding another 20 minutes in. Adli is the top scorer in the cup this season with five goals.
Florian Wirtz scored a third goal 10 minutes before half-time and then scored from the penalty spot at the one-hour mark to secure a comfortable win for Xabi Alonso’s team.
The win extended Leverkusen’s unbeaten record to 40 matches this season, keeping alive the team's hopes of winning three major titles.
They won the German Cup in 1993 but have finished as runners-up three times since.
Kaiserslautern defeated third-division Saarbruecken on Tuesday to become the first second-division side in the final since 2011.
Duesseldorf’s chances of reaching the final were hurt early on, with Frimpong scoring from close range after seven minutes.
Wirtz, despite being only 20, set up Adli who confidently scored to double the lead for Leverkusen.
Leverkusen scored again after winning back the ball and quickly passing it to Wirtz, who evaded a defender and finished past Florian Kastenmeier.
After 60 minutes, Patrik Schick’s header hit Duesseldorf’s Matthias Zimmerman's hand, and the referee awarded a penalty after a VAR review.
Kastenmeier guessed correctly but Wirtz’s shot perfectly found its way into the left post, prompting the home fans to chant “Berlin, we’re going to Berlin” for May’s cup final.
AFP
