FC Saarbrucken: Cinderella Run in DFB Pokal Astounds With Wins vs Bundesliga Clubs, Including Bayern

FC Saarbrucken: Cinderella Run in DFB Pokal Astounds With Wins vs Bundesliga Clubs, Including Bayern

Joel Reyes
March 14, 2024 at 12:20 PM
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GER Bundesliga
Germany
DFB Pokal logo
DFB Pokal
Germany
1. FC Saarbrücken logo
Saarbrücken
Germany
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Bayern Munich logo
Bayern Munich
Germany
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Eintracht Frankfurt logo
Eintracht Frankfurt
Germany
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Borussia Monchengladbach logo
Borussia Monchengladbach
Germany
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Karlsruher SC logo
Karlsruher SC
Germany
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  • Third-tier side 1. FC Saarbrucken reached the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday
  • They have recorded several upset wins over Bundesliga clubs on their way to the semis
  • The most famous of their victories came in the second round against Bayern Munich

The dream lives on for 1. FC Saarburcken.

The third-division team continued their march towards an unlikely DFB-Pokal title, beating Borussia Monchengladbach in the quarter-finals.

Sports Brief looks at their Cinderella run, which saw them eliminate several Bundesliga clubs in this German cup competition, including European powerhouse Bayern Munich.

Saarbrucken, Bayern Munich, Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach
Saarbrucken players celebrate after they recorded an upset win over Bayern Munich in DFB Pokal. Image: Jean-Christophe VERHAEGEN.
Source: Getty Images

1. FC Saarbrucken's miracle cup run

Saarbrucken vs. Karlsruher (1st round)

They opened their DFB-Pokal campaign with a meeting with Karlsruher in the first round.

Tim Civeja opened the scoring for the hosts with a goal in the 47th minute. Karlsruher battled back, with Lars Stindl scoring an equaliser in the 65th minute.

Just when it seemed the game would be headed to extra time, Kai Brunker came to Saarbrucken's rescue. He scored the match-winner in the 90th minute to send the third-division club to the second round of the German Cup.

Saarbrucken vs. Bayern Munich (2nd round)

Saarbrucken got a dream pairing in the second round, drawing European giants Bayern Munich. Many expected the home team to fold after Thomas Muller scored the opening goal for Bayern in the 15th minute.

Saarbrucken weren't going to let their dream end in front of their home fans as they staged a stunning fightback against the 20-time German Cup champs.

They found the equaliser just before the half-time break, with Patrick Sontheimer tapping in from close range after an errant pass from defender Kim Min-jae, per The Guardian.

They then completed the comeback deep into second-half stoppage time. Marcel Gaus found the back of the net with a fantastic left-footed strike to send the home fans into a frenzy.

Saarbrucken vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Round of 16)

Saarbrucken's miracle run continued in the Round of 16, with Eintracht Frankfurt the next Bundesliga side to fall victim to the third-tier club.

Kai Brunker opened the scoring for the hosts in the 64th minute before Luca Kerber doubled their advantage in the 78th minute. The victory was secured when Frankfurt's Noel Futkeu received a red card in the 82nd minute.

Saarbrucken vs. Borussia Monchengladbach (Quarter-finals)

Saarbrucken created more history on Tuesday night, adding Borussia Monchengladbach to their list of victims in the DFB-Pokal.

The visitors looked like they would finally end Saarbrucken's miracle run, with Robin Hack giving Monchengladbach a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute.

Saarbrucken responded immediately, though, with Amine Naifi scoring an equaliser in the 11th minute, per ESPN.

The game remained tied at 1-1 until second-half injury time, during which Saarbrucken once again worked their magic.

Brunker scored another last-gasp winner for the hosts, finding the back of the net with a shot from just inside the box to give Saarbrucken a dramatic 2-1 victory.

Kane leads Champions League Golden Boot race

Sports Brief recently reported on Harry Kane leading the Golden Boot race in the Champions League.

He has scored six goals in the tournament thus far.

He netted twice in the 3-0 win over Lazio in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie.

Authors
Joel Reyes photo
Joel Reyes
Joel Reyes is a sports editor at Sportsbrief.com with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines. He has eight years of work experience in sports writing.