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France 24
24-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Stuttgart survive late Bielefeld scare to win German Cup
Goals from Nick Woltemade, Enzo Millot and Deniz Undav had Stuttgart three up inside 28 minutes and cruising against Bielefeld, just the fourth third division side to make the final in the competition's 82-year history. Millot added a second with 66 minutes and Stuttgart looked to have the job done, but a Julian Kania strike and a Josha Vagnoman own goal with the clock ticking down made Stuttgart sweat. They however held on to claim their fourth German Cup and their first since 1997, when the then Joachim Loew-coached side again triumphed against third-flight opponents Energie Cottbus. The win means Stuttgart, who finished ninth in the regular season, will join Freiburg in next season's Europa League. Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller shone in the middle of the park, setting up goals for his Germany teammates Woltemade and Undav, showing the passing prowess that has him earmarked as Toni Kroos' replacement. The trophy is also just rewards for Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness, who took over with the club sitting dead last in April 2023 before guiding them to second place and a return to the Champions League last season. Bielefeld rode an underdog wave into the German capital, having beaten four first division sides on their way to the final including defending champions Bayer Leverkusen in the semis. Bielefeld however spurned a golden chance to open the scoring with 11 minutes played when unmarked Sarenren Bazee blasted his shot against the crossbar with an open goal beckoning. Stuttgart made Bazee and Bielefeld pay just four minutes later. Stiller threaded the ball to Woltemade, who shed his defender and guided it home. The goal rattled Bielefeld and Stuttgart took advantage, scoring again in the 22nd minute through Millot. Stiller kickstarted a counter in his own half and Undav took advantage of a defensive mishap, collecting the ball on the halfway line and marching goalwards before finding Millot to tap into an empty net. Stiller again created Stuttgart's third, sliding a ball to the feet of the onrushing Undav, who placed the ball in the bottom corner. With the red and white half of the 74,000-strong Olympic Stadium already celebrating a pending cup victory, Stuttgart took their foot off the pedal as Bielefeld tried to limit the damage. When Millot scored his second with 66 minutes played, the France midfielder removed his shirt, jumped a fence and ran towards the crowd at the Stuttgart end, knowing victory was surely theirs. Bielefeld gave their supporters something to celebrate when Kania scored with 82 minutes gone; the goal was the first scored by a third-flight side in a German Cup final. Three minutes later, Bielefeld pressed Vagnoman into an own goal, which silenced the Stuttgart fans. Bielefeld pressed and won repeat corners deep in injury time but were unable to cut the gap further and Stuttgart held on. Stuttgart now have four German Cups. Only five sides -- Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke -- have won more.
France 24
23-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
'No chance': Bielefeld embrace underdog tag in German Cup final
Bielefeld won promotion to the second division earlier in May. They are just the fourth club in German Cup history to reach the final from the third division. Of the 81 times the competition has been played since it was created, only once has a side from outside the top flight lifted the trophy: second-division Hannover in 1992. "Like in the games before, we have no chance. And we have to take advantage of that," Bielefeld coach Mitch Kniat told reporters on Thursday. Bielefeld beat four top-flight sides on their way to the showpiece event, including defending champions Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals. Their opponents Stuttgart have endured two relegations in the past decade but are among the traditional giants in Germany, winning five league titles and three German Cups. "We don't just want to have a nice day here, a nice holiday," Kniat said. "We also want to win the game and then grab hold of that beautiful trophy." Around 100,000 Arminia fans are expected in Berlin, around a third of Bielefeld's total population and well over the allocation of 20,000 tickets per team. "I don't think anyone in Bielefeld has turned up to work for the past week," Kniat said. "You see people who have been fans of the club for 50 or 60 years. They're ready for the greatest day of their lives. They filled their tanks and went on their way." Bielefeld's American captain Mael Corboz, born and raised in Alabama, said his side were given a special send-off by fans and local media before making the trip on Friday. "Their message was push hard on the gas, stick together, and with a lot of courage you'll make it. And we get that courage from our fans too." Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness said Bielefeld's league status would not be relevant on the pitch on Saturday. "I understand the narrative but it's irrelevant for me. We're not playing against a third-division side, we're taking on the cup finalists. "They've knocked out four Bundesliga sides so it doesn't matter to us which league they're from." The coach spent the better part of a decade with Hertha Berlin's reserve team during his playing career and was thrilled to be taking part in the festivities in the German capital for the first time.
Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Champions Bayern preparing for Mueller farewell in final home game
MUNICH, Germany - Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are preparing for an emotional final home game of the season that will see them receive the league trophy after the final whistle and serve as farewell to veteran striker Thomas Mueller. Bayern secured their 34th German league title on Sunday without kicking a ball after title rivals Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, leaving the leaders with an unassailable eight-point lead with two games left to play. Although there is no sporting goal left to achieve, the team will be ready to go when they host ninth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday, coach Vincent Kompany said. "This week has been like every other week. We've prepared because it's an important match for us," Kompany told a press conference on Friday. "We don't have less pressure for the final two matches. We're carrying on. We want to win this game, it's Thomas Mueller's last match at the Allianz Arena, it's a celebration for everyone. "We want to experience a perfect Saturday if the preparation is good. It won't be an easy task, the opponents are good." The 35-year-old former Germany captain Mueller joined Bayern aged 10, helping them to 13 championships, six German Cups, eight Super Cups and two Champions League trophies. "It will certainly be very emotional, I don't know whether more for Thomas or the people around," Kompany said. "These are great moments, I've experienced it myself. I know Thomas too, he's still a fighter who always wants to show what we can do. He has a very special relationship with the fans." Mueller has largely been a substitute this season and Kompany has been known for being strict when it comes to revealing the lineup prior to games. However, when asked whether the 35-year-old striker would play against Gladbach, the Belgian coach hinted that this would be the case. "I want to stay consistent but I'm not stupid, so let's wait and see tomorrow. I don't want to spoil the party, though," Kompany said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Champions Bayern preparing for Mueller farewell in final home game
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Bayern Munich Training - Saebener Strasse, Munich, Germany - April 7, 2025 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller during training REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are preparing for an emotional final home game of the season that will see them receive the league trophy after the final whistle and serve as farewell to veteran striker Thomas Mueller. Bayern secured their 34th German league title on Sunday without kicking a ball after title rivals Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, leaving the leaders with an unassailable eight-point lead with two games left to play. Although there is no sporting goal left to achieve, the team will be ready to go when they host ninth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday, coach Vincent Kompany said. "This week has been like every other week. We've prepared because it's an important match for us," Kompany told a press conference on Friday. "We don't have less pressure for the final two matches. We're carrying on. We want to win this game, it's Thomas Mueller's last match at the Allianz Arena, it's a celebration for everyone. "We want to experience a perfect Saturday if the preparation is good. It won't be an easy task, the opponents are good." The 35-year-old former Germany captain Mueller joined Bayern aged 10, helping them to 13 championships, six German Cups, eight Super Cups and two Champions League trophies. "It will certainly be very emotional, I don't know whether more for Thomas or the people around," Kompany said. "These are great moments, I've experienced it myself. I know Thomas too, he's still a fighter who always wants to show what we can do. He has a very special relationship with the fans." Mueller has largely been a substitute this season and Kompany has been known for being strict when it comes to revealing the lineup prior to games. However, when asked whether the 35-year-old striker would play against Gladbach, the Belgian coach hinted that this would be the case. "I want to stay consistent but I'm not stupid, so let's wait and see tomorrow. I don't want to spoil the party, though," Kompany said. (Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Champions Bayern preparing for Mueller farewell in final home game
MUNICH, Germany, - Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are preparing for an emotional final home game of the season that will see them receive the league trophy after the final whistle and serve as farewell to veteran striker Thomas Mueller. Bayern secured their 34th German league title on Sunday without kicking a ball after title rivals Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, leaving the leaders with an unassailable eight-point lead with two games left to play. Although there is no sporting goal left to achieve, the team will be ready to go when they host ninth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday, coach Vincent Kompany said. "This week has been like every other week. We've prepared because it's an important match for us," Kompany told a press conference on Friday. "We don't have less pressure for the final two matches. We're carrying on. We want to win this game, it's Thomas Mueller's last match at the Allianz Arena, it's a celebration for everyone. "We want to experience a perfect Saturday if the preparation is good. It won't be an easy task, the opponents are good." The 35-year-old former Germany captain Mueller joined Bayern aged 10, helping them to 13 championships, six German Cups, eight Super Cups and two Champions League trophies. "It will certainly be very emotional, I don't know whether more for Thomas or the people around," Kompany said. "These are great moments, I've experienced it myself. I know Thomas too, he's still a fighter who always wants to show what we can do. He has a very special relationship with the fans." Mueller has largely been a substitute this season and Kompany has been known for being strict when it comes to revealing the lineup prior to games. However, when asked whether the 35-year-old striker would play against Gladbach, the Belgian coach hinted that this would be the case. "I want to stay consistent but I'm not stupid, so let's wait and see tomorrow. I don't want to spoil the party, though," Kompany said. Allianz Arena Germany Bayern München Borussia M'gladbach
