Bob Olympic champion Laura Nolte gave the Bundesliga club Rasenballsport Leipzig an East derby in the semi-finals of the men’s DFB Cup. The 23-year-old drew 1. FC Union Berlin as an opponent for the Saxons on Sunday as part of the ARD “Sports Show” from the German Football Museum in Dortmund under the eyes of draw manager and national coach Hansi Flick. Leipzig’s coach Domenico Tedesco was particularly pleased that lawn ball sports are hosting a semi-final for the first time. “We want to win this and get into the final. Of course we know about Union’s strengths, not least because of the defeat in the first half of the season. They’re a really good team that will play a good role again this season,” said the fifth-placed coach.
The following weekend, both teams meet again in Leipzig on the 31st match day of the Bundesliga, which Tedesco described as “strange”. On the other hand, Oliver Ruhnert, Managing Director of professional football at the Berliners, struggled with the draw: “Certainly the draw seems to be the most difficult at the moment, but we will travel to Leipzig to do our best and to surpass ourselves.”
Second division club Hamburger SV and SC Freiburg meet in the second encounter. “A home game – wonderful. Freiburg is definitely the favourite, but we have to go beyond our limits and need a day when everything works out, then we can do something, especially in a home game,” said former HSV professional Bernd Wehmeyer, who is back at his club represented the draw in the ARD “Sportschau”. “Actually, our boys have already fulfilled their target in the cup, but a semi-final is something like the icing on the cake,” emphasized the 69-year-old. The men’s semifinals will be held on April 19th and 20th, with the final taking place in Berlin on May 21st.
Meanwhile, the women’s soccer team from champions FC Bayern Munich welcome defending champions VfL Wolfsburg in the semi-finals of the DFB Cup. Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Turbine Potsdam will contest the second semi-final. The semi-finals will be held on April 17th and 18th. The final will take place in Cologne on May 28th.
