BIELEFELD, Germany (AP) — Third-division team Arminia Bielefeld reached the semifinals of the German Cup on Tuesday by upsetting Bundesliga side Werder Bremen 2-1 in their quarterfinal.
Sam Schreck sent fans in the Bielefelder Alm stadium wild when he scored the supposed third goal on a counterattack in the sixth minute of stoppage time — then the score was ruled out through VAR for a foul in the buildup.
But the supporters only had a brief wait before they could celebrate their team’s defeat of a third Bundesliga opponent on its way to the final four. Bielefeld had already eliminated second-tier Hannover, before it knocked out Union Berlin and Freiburg.
“Incredible. Indescribable. I don’t think any of us have realized it yet,” Bielefeld goalkeeper Jonas Kersken said.
Bielefeld, which was relegated from the Bundesliga in 2022 before dropping another division the following year, has been punching above its weight in the cup this season.
Bremen, which had lost its last three Bundesliga games and was coming from a humiliating 5-0 defeat at Freiburg, suffered an early blow when forward Marvin Ducksch had to go off after clutching the back of his right leg.
It got worse minutes later when Marius Wörl won possession off Bremen right-back Julián Malatini, took a couple of strides inside and let fly with a brilliant shot in off the far post.
The unfortunate Malatini scored an own goal six minutes later when he tried stopping Stefano Russo’s cross only to deflect the ball over and into the net.
Bremen coach Ole Werner reacted at the break by sending on Leonardo Bittencourt and Oliver Burke. The former crossed for the latter to pull one back with a fine strike in the 56th, but the visitors were unable to muster any more.
Bielefeld joins defending champion Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart in the competition’s final four. Leipzig hosts Wolfsburg on Wednesday to complete the semifinal lineup.
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The Associated Press
