DFB Cup - Alonso favorite with Bayer? "Gives St. Pauli and Düsseldorf"
Record winners FC Bayern are out, defending champions RB Leipzig are out, runners-up Borussia Dortmund are out - but Xabi Alonso takes every opponent seriously. "There's also St. Pauli, Fortuna Düsseldorf or Hertha," said the former world and European champion when asked whether he and Bayer Leverkusen are now the clear favorites in the DFB Cup. Bayer undoubtedly have this status. After all, apart from the Bundesliga leaders, only VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Mönchengladbach are still in the quarter-finals.
But that is warning enough for Alonso. "There are always surprises in the cup," he said. And then the Basque explained why he warns against the second division teams in particular: "I see the quality, they play good soccer. And the cup is a different competition."
Despite the 3:1 win in the round of 16, which was ultimately fitting, second-division runners-up SC Paderborn also showed this on Wednesday. "Going into half-time in Leverkusen with 3:3 shots on goal is something not quite so many have managed," said coach Lukas Kwasniok. The aim was to keep the game open for as long as possible, said the coach, "and not to box ourselves in like one or two Bundesliga teams did here". What Kwasniok did not say: Just like Dortmund three days earlier when they drew 1-1.
However, the second division teams are probably the lesser danger for Bayer. The bigger one is the Africa Cup in January, when five players will be missing for up to a month in goal scorer Victor Boniface, the set defenders Odilon Kossounou and Edmond Tapsoba as well as Nathan Tella and Amine Adli - and thus perhaps also the quarter-finals, which are still to be decided.
But one thing is clear: "It's not far to Berlin," said Bayern loanee Josip Stanisic, who has never experienced the final in the capital with Munich. But the Croatian also warned: "We still have to stay focused. No matter whether we're playing against a first, second or third division team."
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- Despite their exit, record winners FC Bayern have set a high bar, as they, along with defending champions RB Leipzig and runners-up Borussia Dortmund, have been eliminated from the DFB Cup.
- Bayer Leverkusen, with Xabi Alonso as a key player, remains in the competition and is considered a serious contender due to the elimination of their main competitors.
- St. Pauli, Fortuna Düsseldorf, and Hertha BSC are among the remaining teams in the DFB Cup, which means that any of them could potentially cause an upset.
- Apart from the Bundesliga leaders, only VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Mönchengladbach remain in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup, apart from Bayer Leverkusen.
- Second-division team SC Paderborn showed its quality in the round of 16, managing to have 3:3 shots on goal against Leverkusen, a feat not many have achieved.
- Bayer Leverkusen have to be wary of the cup competition as the second-division teams, like SC Paderborn, can pose a significant threat due to the unique nature of the tournament.
- Lukas Kwasniok, coach of SC Paderborn, aimed to keep the game open against Leverkusen, avoiding the mistake made by some Bundesliga teams, including Borussia Dortmund.
- The absence of five key players, including goal scorer Victor Boniface, could potentially affect Bayer Leverkusen's progress in the DFB Cup quarter-finals.
- Borussia Mönchengladbach remains in the competition aside from Bayer and VfB Stuttgart, and could potentially cause an upset in the DFB Cup.
- Josip Stanisic, a Bayern Munich loanee for Bayer Leverkusen, is well aware of the challenge ahead, as they must stay focused, regardless of the opposition's division.
- North Rhine-Westphalia is home to several teams still in the DFB Cup, including Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach, as well as second-division team Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Source: www.stern.de
