Can Bayer 04 qualify for the second final in succession and the sixth overall? Or will Arminia cause a shock on their own turf and go through to the final in Berlin on their fourth semi-final appearance? The Werkself have won the previous three meetings in the DFB Pokal (1997/97, 2012/13, 2013/14). Number four can happily come tonight...
In the history of the DFB Pokal, Arminia Bielefeld are only the second club to have reached the semi-finals twice without being in the top two divisions alongside FC Saarbrücken (2019/20 and 2023/24). Bielefeld previously reached this stage in 2014/15. The potential semi-final win against Bayer 04 would make Arminia Bielefeld the fourth third tier team to reach the final (Hertha Berlin Reserves 1992/93, Energie Cottbus 1996/97 and Union Berlin 2000/01).
The Werkself overcame Regional League FC Carl Zeiss Jena 1-0 in the first round, then beat second tier SV 07 Elversberg 3-0 at home in the second round and the Round of 16 saw the 1-0 victory against the record Pokal winners Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. The Black and Reds beat FC Köln in a spectacular game at home in the quarter-finals with a 3-2 win after extra time.
Arminia Bielefeld have knocked three top-flight clubs out of the competition. They started in the first round with a 2-0 win against second division Hannover 96, in the second round the team led by coach Mitch Kniat achieved the same result against Union Berlin. SC Freiburg lost 3-1 at the SchücoArena at the start of September last year. In the quarter-finals held a month ago Arminia beat Werder Bremen 2-1.
The team from Bielefeld are currently fourth in the third division and have justified hopes of promotion as they are only one point behind third-placed FC Saarbrücken with eight games to play. They are also within reach of claiming a direct promotion slot for Bundesliga 2. Why? Arminia have been the most prolific team in the Rückrunde with 21 goals scored and have only conceded 32 goals in the previous 30 games, which is less than any other team. Further information on today's opponents can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
3,200 Bayer 04 fans will be at the SchücoArena to support the Werkself in this midwek Pokal tie.
The referee for tonight's match is Harm Osmers. The 40-year-old has previously been in charge of 18 games involving the Werkself (11 wins, four draws, three defeats). His assistants are Dominik Schaal and Stefan Lupp with Johann Pfeifer in action as the VAR..
The knockout tie will be broadcast live on free to air channel ARD and on Sky. As ever, supporters unable to be at the match can follow the game on Werkself Radio. The audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep fans up-to-date. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Bayer 04 have fond memories of their encounters with Heidenheim, including a resounding 6-0 win in the reverse fixture. Kasper Hjulmand’s side would very much like to produce a similarly clinical display as they now head to the Voith-Arena for Matchday 27 on Saturday (15:30 CET). But they come up against a team fighting for their Bundesliga lives at the bottom of the table, 10 points adrift of safety with time running out. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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The Bayer 04 Women welcome FC Carl Zeiss Jena to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday night in a white retro look - and in a unique Bayer 04 ‘50 Years of Fan Clubs’ special edition jersey. In sporting terms, head coach Roberto Pätzold's team will face the Bundesliga's bottom team at 18:30 CET looking to keep their chances of third place in the table alive with six games left to play.
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Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action this weekend. Following their elimination in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, the Werkself are away to FC Heidenheim 1846 on Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET) on Bundesliga matchday 27. Ahead of the clash in the eastern Swabian Alps, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the importance of the fixture and the chances of qualifying for the Champions League next term.
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A quick look at the table shows the situation at FC Heidenheim is serious. The Bundesliga bottom club are already ten points behind the play-off spot with their backs to the wall in sporting terms. With eight games left to play, avoiding relegation appears to be a mission impossible. Nevertheless, they are far from flying the white flag at the Schlossberg ahead of the clash with the Werkself this Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without the two strikers in the immediate future. Caroline Kehrer suffered a torn ligament in her right knee and Amy Wrigge tore her cruciate ligament.
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