Football: Arminia Bielefeld 2 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen
Third-tier Arminia Bielefeld stunned holders Bayer Leverkusen to reach the final of the German Cup.
Bielefeld fought back from a goal down to triumph 2-1
In doing so, they become the first team outside the top two divisions to knock four Bundesliga sides out of the German Cup in one season.
The club, who are fourth in Germany's third division, had already beaten Union Berlin, Freiburg and Werder Bremen before their victory over the reigning Bundesliga champions.
A closer look at what happened
Leverkusen opened the scoring in the 17th minute through Jonathan Tah, but their lead lasted for just three minutes as Marius Worl beat keeper Lukas Hradecky with a low strike.
A close-range volley from Maximilian Grosser before the break completed Bielefeld's comeback and condemned Leverkusen to their first German Cup defeat under manager Xabi Alonso.
This achievement in context
Bielefeld returned to the Bundesliga in 2020 after an 11-year absence, but they were relegated two seasons later and, in 2023, they dropped down to the third tier after losing a relegation play-off.
READ MORE: What else has been happening with the 2024 Bundesliga champions?
They are the fourth team from the third division to reach the German Cup final, following Union Berlin in 2001, Energie Cottbus in 1997 and Hertha Berlin's reserve team in 1993.
What's next? Can the third-tier side win the trophy?
Bielefeld will take on another Bundesliga side in the final, with Stuttgart or RB Leipzig facing each other in Wednesday's semi-final.
Leverkusen still hope for a positive end to the season
Last season's success was a shock to the footballing world. Not only did they win the Bundesliga and German Cup, they achieved it without losing a game in domestic competition.
This season, it's looking like they'll end up without a trophy but 2nd place and qualifying for the Champions League again would still represent something positive..
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