SC Freiburg 1-1 (2-4 on pens) RB Leipzig
The 2022 DFB-Pokal trophy is heading to Leipzig after 75,000 fans crammed into the Olympiastadion and witnessed an incredible 120 minutes and a penalty shootout.
Domenico Tedesco’s Leipzig ran out winners on penalties but that isn’t half the story as they had two players sent off and Freiburg hit the woodwork three times in extra time.
This was the third time the Red Bulls have reached the final in four years and they finally picked up a major trophy when their players kept their cool from 12 yards as an unlucky Freiburg finally wilted.
The DFB-Pokal 2022 betting odds backed a Leipzig win but when they went behind in the first half and lost a man early in the second, it looked like the trophy was heading towards Christian Streich’s Freiburg. But Leipzig’s star man Christopher Nkunku struck late in the second half and, while Freiburg battered the Leipzig woodwork, Die Roten Bullen are now celebrating long into the night.
Highlights of the game
Freiburg bossed the first half and were ahead with just 19 minutes on the clock, but their was a whiff of controversy about the opening goal. Christian Gunter crossed to Roland Sallai and he directed the ball on to Maximilian Eggestein, who fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area. The ball seemed to have touched Sallai’s hand, but the ref allowed the goal and Leipzig were furious.
The Red Bulls almost hit back immediately when Nkunku’s shot hit the keeper and rolled towards the goal, but Nico Schlotterbeck cleared the ball off the line.
Leipzig looked brighter after the break and were pushing for an equaliser, but when Freiburg lobbed a long ball forward Marcel Halstenberg pulled down Lucas Holer and the ref waved a red card in his direction. And soon after, Sallai had a great chance to double Freiburg’s lead when he was clean through but he smashed his shot into the side netting.
Nkunku was always going to be a big player in the DFB-Pokal 2022 highlights, and it was no surprise when he levelled for Die Roten Bullen with just 15 minutes left on the clock. Orban did well to meet a speculative ball and nod across to give the French striker a tap-in. Nkunku has recently added a place in the Europa League Team of the Season to his Bundesliga Player of the Year award and he is destined to be a great star in world football.
And this goal turned out to be priceless.
Extra time saw Freiburg press for a winner against the ten men, and Ermedin Demirovic hit the post on 93 minutes, and ten minutes later Janik Haberer hit the post and Demirovic fired over. And Haberer was unlucky again when his 25-yard volley crashed off the crossbar.
In the dying moments, Leipzig substitute Kevin Kampl was red-carded, but Freiburg’s chances for a clean win had disappeared.
And as the Leipzig players planted home their four penalties, Gunter fired over and, almost inevitably, Demirovic’s spot kick hit the woodwork!
Key statistics
These two teams finished just three points and two places apart in the Bundesliga but die Roten Bullen were firm favourites to win the final, at SBOTOP odds of 1.60.
And for a team which played over half of the 120 minutes with ten men, Leipzig did well to have 52 per cent possession. While Freiburg won the shot count by 21 to 15, Leipzig had eight to five on target but then, of course, Freiburg hit the woodwork three times!
What’s next?
Both teams can be pleased with their efforts this season, Freiburg finishing sixth and Red Bull fourth after a dreadful start to their campaign. And next season they both have European football to look forward to.
Leipzig are in the 2022/23 Champions League, joining FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg will enter the Europa League.
There is still plenty of action to come over the next week though, as two of Europe’s top leagues reach a climax and the Champions League final looms large. Liverpool meet Real Madrid in Paris as they battle for Europe’s biggest prize, but before that Jurgen Klopp’s Reds have a final day shootout in the Premier League where they hope to overtake Manchester City at the final hurdle.
And while La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 have all been resolved, in Italy, the two Milan giants will decide the 2022 Scudetto. AC Milan need to win away to Sassuolo to hold off Inter, who have a home game against Sampdoria.
Will there be any more twists on the final day?If there are, here at SBOTOP we’ll be all over the action but, for tonight, it’s the time to say ‘Gluckwunsch’ to the mighty Red Bulls!
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