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30.03.2020Bayer 04

27 years ago: The anticipated cup final

The semi-final draw produced a clash of the two biggest teams on paper. The Werkself met Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt in the last four of the DFB Cup in 1992/93. The tie on 30 March 1993 – exactly 27 years ago – was the platform for going on to win the cup.

The Black and Reds got off to a flying start in the Bundesliga campaign under head coach Reinhard Saftig. After 12 games, the Werkself were in second spot two points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. A dip in form followed with the first half of the season ending with Bayer 04 in sixth place. During the winter break, the then Bayer 04 general manager Reiner Calmund decided to bring in Dragoslav Stepanovic from Frankfurt as the new coach for the following season.

In the final thanks to strike partners

In the second half of the Bundesliga campaign, the Werkself picked up seven out of a possible 12 points (under the two points for a win rule) before facing Eintracht Frankfurt in the previously mentioned cup semi-final on 30 March. While the Hertha Berlin Amateurs surprisingly beat second division Chemnitz FC in the other semi-final, Bayer 04 and Eintracht Frankfurt were both in the top-flight. The team under head coach Saftig secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Eintracht who were then third in the table. The legendary front two of Ulf Kirsten and Andreas Thom (2) scored all three goals, to take the Werkself through to the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

Stepanovic: From resignation to the dugout

Immediately after the game, the Eintracht coach Dragoslav Stepanovic resigned and was initially an adviser for his future employers Bayer 04. Five weeks later, general manager Calmund gave head coach Saftig his marching orders; Stepanovic took over the helm and the Werkself beat the Hertha Berlin Amateurs 1-0 – Kirsten scored the goal on 77 minutes – to lift the DFB Cup for the first time in the club's history.

Match stats from DFB Cup semi-final 1993:

Eintracht Frankfurt: Stein – Bindewald, Binz, Tskhadadze – Weber, Komljenovic (Studer 74'), Bein, Falkenmayer (Yeboah 72'), Bommer – Schmitt, Kruse

Bayer 04: Vollborn – Kree, Foda, Wörns – Stöver, Lupescu, Hapal, Fischer, von Ahlen (Scholz 67') – Thom, Kirsten (Tolkmitt 80')

Goals: 0-1 Thom (6’), 0-2 Kirsten (72’), 0-3 Thom (75’)

Referee: Manfred Harder

Booked: Tskhadadze, Schmitt – von Ahlen, Kirsten

Sent off: Bindewald (55.)

Attendance: 35,000 at Frankfurt's Waldstadion

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