Leverkusen Pull Off Late Comeback
Bayer Leverkusen, the defending champions, pulled off a big surprise by coming back to beat their rivals, Koln, 3-2 after extra time in the DFB Pokal. They were down 2-0 but fought hard to reach the semi-finals and keep their title hopes alive. The game took a wild turn when Victor Boniface scored the winning goal in the 98th minute. Just before that, Patrik Schick scored a last-minute equalizer in the sixth minute of stoppage time to push the match into extra time.
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Koln Starts Strong
Koln started the game strong. They took control and scored two goals before halftime, putting Leverkusen on the back foot. Damion Downs got the first goal just after the half-hour mark. He was set up by Linton Maina, catching Leverkusen off guard. Leverkusen did have a near miss when Alex Grimaldo’s free-kick hit the crossbar. But they struggled to find their rhythm early on.
Schick Kicks Off the Comeback
After halftime, Leverkusen came out looking to attack. Schick tried twice with headers, and both Granit Xhaka and Jonathan Tah had shots saved by Koln’s goalie, Marvin Schwabe. But Koln pushed harder and made it 2-0 in the 54th minute when Downs assisted Maina, who scored calmly.
Leverkusen didn’t back down. Schick quickly got one back in the 61st minute, scoring from a tough angle. They kept pressing and finally tied it up in the sixth minute of added time. Schwabe saved a header from Tah, but Jeremie Frimpong got the ball back into the box, and Schick headed it in to make it 2-2.
Boniface Seals the Game
Extra time kicked off, and after a tense start, Leverkusen took the lead in the 98th minute. Grimaldo sent in a great cross, and Boniface finished it off cleanly. Koln fought back and had a chance to level the score in the 111th minute. Imad Rondic made a strong run and scored from a Tigges cross, but the VAR said he was offside.
In the end, Leverkusen held on to win 3-2, moving on to the semi-finals where they’ll keep fighting to defend their title.
