Quarter-final, 04.03.2020: Bayer 04 v FC Union Berlin 3-1 (0-1)
The quarter-final tie against Union Berlin at the BayArena was not plain sailing for the Werkself. The Berliners deservedly took the lead with a headed-goal scored by Marcus Ingvartsen (39’) and maintained that advantage into the half-time break as they mostly kept the hosts at arm’s length. Until the match suddenly turned round after 70 minutes for two reasons: Peter Bosz brought Karim Bellarabi on and the visitors lost Christopher Lenz when he was shown a second yellow card. The wizard on the wing, who was the killjoy for Union two weeks before when Bayer 04 won 3-2 in the Bundesliga at the Alte Försterei, took full advantage of the extra man when he converted a pass from Kai Havertz with a low shot into the back of the net.
That was followed by wave after wave of attacks on the Union defence that shook and finally gave way in the closing stages of the game: Charles Aránguiz rose from a ruck of players on the penalty spot from a corner and the 1.71 metre tall Chilean headed the Werkself into the lead at 2-1 on 86 minutes. Moussa Diaby sealed the victory with a third goal in added time from a counter attack. Karim Bellarabi succinctly summed up the game after the final whistle : “We weren’t in the game in the first half. But we stuck at it and then really got going. Now we’re in the semi-finals and that’s a great achievement.” Bayer 04 were in the last four of the domestic cup competition for the ninth time in the club’s history.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Hradecky – Tah (Diaby 46’), S. Bender, Tapsoba – Amiri (Weiser 46’), Aránguiz, Demirbay, Sinkgraven – Havertz, Alario, Bailey (Bellarabi 69’)
Union Berlin: Gikiewicz – Friedrich, K. Schlotterbeck, Parensen – Ryerson, Andrich, Prömel (Kroos 82’), Lenz – Bülter (Trimmel 73’), Ujah (Andersson 70’), Ingvartsen
Goals: 0-1 Ingvartsen (39’), 1-1 Bellarabi (72’), 2-1 Aránguiz (86’), 3-1 Diaby (90+1’)
Referee: Benjamin Cortus (Röthenbach an der Pegnitz)
Booked: Tah, Aránguiz, Diaby – Parensen, Lenz
Sent-off: Lenz (71’)
Attendance: 18,453
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career working as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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