In a dramatic DFB-Pokal match, 1. FC Köln nearly upset reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen, leading 2-0 before ultimately losing 3-2 after extra time. Goals from Damion Downs and Linton Maina initially put Köln ahead, but Patrick Schick’s late strikes brought Leverkusen back, with Victor Boniface scoring the winning goal. Post-match tensions arose, highlighting frustrations with officiating and perceived arrogance from the opposing team.
In a thrilling cup showdown: As a second division squad, 1. FC Köln nearly handed the reigning champions a shocking defeat. Bayer Leverkusen managed to stay afloat, thanks to an extended stoppage period. After the final whistle, the Effzeh players were left feeling frustrated and slightly irritated.
Xabi Alonso embraced his assistant coaches in relief following the intense cup clash, while the Cologne visitors sat dejectedly on the pitch. Bayer Leverkusen narrowly escaped elimination in the DFB-Pokal, relying on a stroke of luck and the brilliance of double scorer Patrick Schick. In this exhilarating match, the title holders rallied from a 0:2 deficit to secure a 3:2 victory (0:1, 2:2) after extra time, only breathing a sigh of relief when the final whistle blew. This result keeps the Werkself’s dreams of securing three titles this season alive.
Damion Downs (45.+10) and Linton Maina (54.) were the first to break the scoring against Leverkusen in this competition, sparking hope among FC fans for a semi-final appearance for the first time in 23 years. However, Alonso’s squad maintained their composure and capitalized on their dominance late in the match: Schick (61./90.+6) brought Leverkusen back into the game, pushing it into extra time, where substitute Victor Boniface (98.) netted the decisive goal.
‘Eight minutes of stoppage time is a lot in such a match, and I believe that cost us the next round,’ stated FC defender Dominique Heintz during an interview on ARD. Substitute newcomer Imad Rondic thought he had equalized at 3:3 (111.), but was unfortunately caught offside. Beyond the result, Heintz expressed frustration with the Leverkusen side and their bench, remarking on the provocations directed at them as he shared his thoughts on Sky.
Post-match tensions flared as Heintz engaged in a verbal spat with Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka. When questioned about the incident, he commented on ARD that the Swiss player was ‘one of the more reasonable ones’ at Werkself. ‘The level of arrogance displayed by some at Leverkusen is something I find hard to accept,’ he expressed. Heintz later reiterated on Sky: ‘It’s disappointing. This is the German champion, an exceptional team; they shouldn’t need to act so arrogantly after a match.’
A Memorable Performance from Wirtz
Alonso emphasized the need for both ‘footballing skill’ and ’emotional composure’ in the face of the ‘charged atmosphere.’ Bayer captain Lukas Hradecky also cautioned that the Kölner, who had triumphed in two of the last three encounters at the BayArena, had ‘nothing to lose.’ This match was particularly significant for Florian Wirtz, who hails from Pulheim and trained in the FC youth system before joining Leverkusen in 2020 amidst much fanfare. FC coach Gerhard Struber insisted that to pull off an upset, they needed to ‘contain the German Messi.’
The visitors initially succeeded, even as the match was delayed for nearly ten minutes due to smoke from pyrotechnics in the Cologne section. FC posed the first threat through Downs (15.), while Bayer took control of the match with its expected intense duels, yet they struggled to convert their dominance into scoring opportunities.
Having previously secured a win in Munich (1:0) in the last round, Leverkusen needed a free kick from Alejandro Grimaldo (30.) to register their first shot on target. Shortly after hitting the crossbar, Grimaldo had another chance to score but narrowly missed (34.). Despite holding more possession, Bayer struggled to create significant goal-scoring threats. The Kölner fiercely resisted in their first cup quarter-final in 15 years but lacked precision in their attacking efforts until Downs capitalized on one of the few counterattacks, igniting jubilation in the Cologne section.
With renewed determination and a golden opportunity, Leverkusen kicked off the second half. Jeremie Frimpong was thwarted by FC goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe, and Wirtz barely missed the follow-up (51.). Bayer was soon punished for their missed chances as Maina coolly converted the next counterattack to give Köln a 2:0 lead. Bayer shook off the setback quickly, responding promptly to reduce the deficit with Schick scoring from close range, leading to a furious final push from Leverkusen. In the dying moments of stoppage time, Schick equalized with a powerful header. Köln struggled to respond in extra time, allowing Boniface, who almost transferred to Saudi Arabia just a week ago, to clinch the decisive third goal.