The German Cup (DFB Pokal) returns in Germany this week with two all-Bundesliga match-ups.
Sometimes, taking a look back reminds us of the good times. The German Cup provides fond memories for a lot of club sides when they look back but they also provide bitter ones. Leverkusen suffered a very bitter defeat in the opening round of the Cup this season. They led Dynamo Dresden 3-0 and unbelievably gave away the lead and lost 4-3 after extra time.
Leverkusen was part of the 2009 final- a final infamously dubbed the ‘scared rabbit’ final and with reason. Leverkusen and Bremen both seemed a tad nervous and both wanted to ‘not lose’ rather than win. Nonetheless, a brilliant Mesut Özil won the match for Bremen with a goal in normal time.
The 2008-09 season provided a good memory for Leverkusen in the quarter-finals. They hammered Bayern 4-2 in that match. In fact, they were 3-0 up in the second half and the result of that match was never in doubt. Lucio and Miroslav Klose, now no longer part of the Bayern squad both scored in that match for the Bavarians.
The 2012 final was one of the most one-sided finals in the history of the competition as Bremen, the defending champions, was absolutely torn apart by a rampant and all conquering Bayern side. 4-0 was the final result- and in truth, it could have been far worse. The match was long serving Bremen captain Frank Baumann’s last one for the club. Bremen has already been eliminated this time around.
The 2008-09 season provided another famous Pokal match as Bremen played Hamburg in a series of four matches. Two of those games were in the UEFA Cup in the semi-finals, one in the Cup and one in the Bundesliga.
The match ended 1-1 in normal time and went to penalties as extra time could not tear these two northern clubs apart. Bremen won it on penalties- the celebrations of Tim Wiese afterwards will live long in the memories of both sets of fans.
In that very season, Bayern inflicted a very heavy defeat in the round of 16 to Stuttgart. They beat Stuttgart 1-5. In those days, a certain Luca Toni was plying his trade for Bayern and that season was perhaps the best of the Italian striker’s club career.
Last season, Schalke played very bravely as they put out Bayern narrowly in the semi-finals with a goal from none other than the legendary Raul. They went on to hammer Duisburg 5-0 in the final. That was Manuel Neuer’s final match for his hometown club. It was perhaps revenge on Bayern as well for knocking them out in the previous year at the same stage by the same score-line. Schalke plays a tricky opponent in Karlsruhe in the second round this time around.
The 2007-08 final was memorable as well- two heavy weights took on each other in Berlin. Bayern had put five past Dortmund in the Bundesliga days earlier but was faced with much more resistance in this one. The match head into extra time after normal time left the score at 1-1. Luca Toni grabbed the winner in the 103rd minute.
We are in the second round only at the moment but the excitement is already starting to build up. Perhaps Hanover and Mainz can provide us with another memorable match in the Pokal- they face each other on Wednesday. Hoffenheim and Köln take on each other as well in what could turn out to be a great match.
Leverkusen was part of the 2009 final- a final infamously dubbed the ‘scared rabbit’ final and with reason. Leverkusen and Bremen both seemed a tad nervous and both wanted to ‘not lose’ rather than win. Nonetheless, a brilliant Mesut Özil won the match for Bremen with a goal in normal time.
The 2008-09 season provided a good memory for Leverkusen in the quarter-finals. They hammered Bayern 4-2 in that match. In fact, they were 3-0 up in the second half and the result of that match was never in doubt. Lucio and Miroslav Klose, now no longer part of the Bayern squad both scored in that match for the Bavarians.
The 2012 final was one of the most one-sided finals in the history of the competition as Bremen, the defending champions, was absolutely torn apart by a rampant and all conquering Bayern side. 4-0 was the final result- and in truth, it could have been far worse. The match was long serving Bremen captain Frank Baumann’s last one for the club. Bremen has already been eliminated this time around.
The 2008-09 season provided another famous Pokal match as Bremen played Hamburg in a series of four matches. Two of those games were in the UEFA Cup in the semi-finals, one in the Cup and one in the Bundesliga.
The match ended 1-1 in normal time and went to penalties as extra time could not tear these two northern clubs apart. Bremen won it on penalties- the celebrations of Tim Wiese afterwards will live long in the memories of both sets of fans.
In that very season, Bayern inflicted a very heavy defeat in the round of 16 to Stuttgart. They beat Stuttgart 1-5. In those days, a certain Luca Toni was plying his trade for Bayern and that season was perhaps the best of the Italian striker’s club career.
Last season, Schalke played very bravely as they put out Bayern narrowly in the semi-finals with a goal from none other than the legendary Raul. They went on to hammer Duisburg 5-0 in the final. That was Manuel Neuer’s final match for his hometown club. It was perhaps revenge on Bayern as well for knocking them out in the previous year at the same stage by the same score-line. Schalke plays a tricky opponent in Karlsruhe in the second round this time around.
The 2007-08 final was memorable as well- two heavy weights took on each other in Berlin. Bayern had put five past Dortmund in the Bundesliga days earlier but was faced with much more resistance in this one. The match head into extra time after normal time left the score at 1-1. Luca Toni grabbed the winner in the 103rd minute.
We are in the second round only at the moment but the excitement is already starting to build up. Perhaps Hanover and Mainz can provide us with another memorable match in the Pokal- they face each other on Wednesday. Hoffenheim and Köln take on each other as well in what could turn out to be a great match.
