Soccer Football - DFB Cup - Semi Final - VFB Stuttgart v RB Leipzig - MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany - April 2, 2025 VfB Stuttgart's Finn Jeltsch is hit in the face by a shot from RB Leipzig's Lois Openda REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) -VfB Stuttgart battled past RB Leipzig 3-1 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final for the first time in 12 years and pile more misery on their crisis-hit opponents.
Stuttgart, who last won the title in 1997 and will play the final against third-tier club Arminia Bielefeld -- who shocked holders Bayer Leverkusen with a 2-1 comeback win on Tuesday -- pressed high and were more efficient with their chances throughout.
"Yes we will go to Berlin," said Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness. "We worked hard against a tough Leipzig team.
"We were rewarded for our efforts by scoring at the right times. We defended with passion and how we dealt with Leipzig's goal for the 2-1 was outstanding."
"It is already now a dream to be going to Berlin. Obviously we want more now but we will talk about that in the coming days.
Leipzig, with the Red Bull soccer leadership, including global head of soccer Juergen Klopp, watching from the stands, tried to come back, with new coach Zsolt Low making his debut after the sacking of Marco Rose on Sunday.
But he could not avoid a second straight loss after Saturday's league defeat to Borussia Moenchengladbach,
Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller fired the hosts into a fifth-minute lead when he scored from 20 metres out with an unstoppable volley.
But Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nuebel was then kept busy and stopped Lois Openda three times as Leipzig, Cup winners in 2022 and 2023, went in search of an equaliser.
Instead it was the hosts who scored again in the 56th after they won possession and Nick Woltemade finished off a superb passing move.
Leipzig, who have dropped to sixth in the Bundesliga with just one win from the last six league games, hit back in the 62nd with Benjamin Sesko and also hit the woodwork late in the game.
Stuttgart restored their two-goal cushion in the 73rd when Jamie Leweling stabbed the ball over the line after a goal-mouth scramble.
"The disappointment is bitter. In many areas we were better than Stuttgart," said Leipzig coach Low. "We tried to work harder in the second half."
"Now we need to process this. It is a setback for us because we wanted to reach the final."
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare Fallon)
