Inspired by the third semi-finals within four years, the Eintracht Frankfurt fans sang the cup classic Berlin, Berlin – we are going to Berlin.
While the Hessians dream of the sixth cup triumph in the club’s history, the professionals frustrated by video evidence, bad luck with injuries and the quarter-finals from Werder Bremen must initiate the sporting turning point in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga in the Berlin Olympic Stadium at Hertha BSC.
I keep fighting and know that the team continues to fight. We are not victims. If we tell ourselves that would be our biggest mistake. We will bring this to a successful conclusion in the end, said Werder coach Florian Kohfeldt after the cup knockout by the 0-2 (0-1) in Frankfurt with a view to the Bundesliga struggle for existence.
The 37-year-old was particularly angry about the penalty for video evidence, which Andr Silva (45. + 6 minutes) converted to the Eintracht leadership shortly before the break. None of the spectators or the players saw anything. Then the forensic search begins, Kohfeldt criticized the intervention of the video assistant in the initially undetected handball by Ludwig Augustinsson in the Werder penalty area.
I am always clear on the subject and I am not someone who always blames it on the referees. But in my opinion the video assistant should intervene in the event of clear wrong decisions. I never saw that happen, said Kohfeldt. Even Eintracht coach Adi Htter rumbled around: It was a happy decision for us and the key scene of the game.
The morning after the renewed frustration experience in front of 51,500 spectators, Werder at least gave the all clear for the injured mer Toprak. The defender had been admitted to the hospital shortly before the end with suspected fibula fracture after Filip Kostic’s kick, who saw it red and will not be available in the cup this season, was suspected of breaking his fibula.
There, the 30-year-old was diagnosed with a tear at the calf and sewn. A very painful affair for the future, but luckily nothing is broken, Kohfeldt said on Thursday. The downtime is uncertain, Toprak will definitely be missing in Berlin.
This is a very important game for us, sporting director Frank Baumann emphasized the importance of the game on Saturday. The deficit of the penultimate table on the saving bank in the Bundesliga is already eight points. There are at least four counters to the relegation site.
The team is okay in terms of character, they basically accepted the situation. I am convinced that we will knock the goat over. But we don’t have much time left, so it would be very important if we started on Saturday, Baumann said.
In order to minimize the travel stress, the Bremen train until Friday in Frankfurt and fly from there to the capital. That is also the destination of Eintracht – in May for the cup final. Anyone who has been to Berlin wants to go there again. Anyone who saw the trophy film, even more so, reminded goalkeeper Kevin Trapp of the cheers after the 2018 final triumph against Bayern Mnchen.
The opponents in the semi-finals, which will be drawn on Sunday, do not care about the Hessians. If you want to go to Berlin, you have to beat everyone, said midfielder Timothy Chandler. For Fr Htter therefore only one thing counts: My wish is that we have a home game again, said the Eintracht coach. Because you can see that the team can achieve a lot if they are supported one hundred percent.
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