Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen will take on third-tier Arminia Bielefeld, while Stuttgart will host RB Leipzig in the semi-finals of the German Cup, following Sunday’s draw.
Under German Cup rules, lower-division clubs automatically host fixtures, meaning Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side will travel to Bielefeld for their clash. Leipzig, winners of two of the past three German Cups, will visit Stuttgart in the other semi-final.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes acknowledged the challenge ahead, calling it an “emotional, combative and demanding” match but reaffirmed his team’s ambition to “defend our title in Berlin in May.”
Bielefeld, the only semi-finalist never to have won the German Cup, face a daunting task against Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, the competition’s record 20-time winners, have already been knocked out, losing 1-0 to Leverkusen in December. Other multiple winners, including Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Werder Bremen, have also exited.
The semi-final matches will take place on April 1 and 2, with the final scheduled for May 24 at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
