German football has never been known for consistency regarding giants and their participation in the top flight. After all, the German second-tier, Bundesliga 2, is by far the strongest second league in the world, as three out of five teams with the most Bundesliga titles currently participate in – Nurnberg, Schalke, and HSV, which were also European Champions back in 1983.Leverkusen’s horror continues: third-tier Bielefeld show them cup’s exit doors!Additionally, seven more Bundesliga 2 teams – Fortuna Dusseldorf, Karlsruher, Hannover, Hertha, Greuter Furth, Koln, and Kaiserslautern – have been champions 16 times in total. On the other hand, as many as eight top-tier sides have never won a single major German trophy (Augsburg, Bochum, Freiburg, Hoffenheim, Mainz, Heidenheim, St. Pauli, and Union Berlin).Concerning everything mentioned above, is it a surprise when a third-tier team knocks out the ruling champions in the Cup semifinals? Well, it has to be, especially if the champions are Bayer Leverkusen, which were on the verge of winning the treble last season, while the underdogs are Arminia Bielefeld, a trophyless yo-yo club, which last played in the Bundesliga five years ago.Ecstatic Arminia fans celebrate after the game (©Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)However, Arminia are much more than that, and their Cinderella story is way more intriguing.Named after the German first-century hero, Arminius, who had united all German tribes and defeated the Romans in the renowned Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, the Bielefeld club followed in the famous warrior’s footsteps, brushing aside four Bundesliga sides in a row.Cup magic at its finest! 🎩✨Arminia Bielefeld takes down the reigning champions, Bayer Leverkusen, and secures a place in their first-ever DFB-Pokal final! 🏆🔥#DFB #GermanFootball #DFBPokal pic.twitter.com/puywRuCZZI— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) April 1, 2025 In the Round of 32, they stunned Union Berlin (2-0), in the Round of 16, Freiburg fell short (3-1), while the Blues’ SchucoArena remained unconquered in the quarter-finals against Werder as well (2-1). Finally, the gigantic win against Lever was the nice frosting on their Cup cake, but the cherry on top has yet to come.It will be the grand final, where another Bundesliga crew – either RB Leipzig or Stuttgart – will face them. It will be Arminia’s Battle of Teutoburg Forest, their chance to finally grab a trophy and show everyone that the defeated Romans were actually right about one thing – Nomen est omen (The name is a sign).DFB Pokal – SEMIFINALTuesdayBielefeld – Leverkusen 2-1 (2-1)/Worl 20, Grosser 45+3 – Tah 21/Wednesday21:45: (2.10) Stuttgart (3.50) RB Leipzig (3.40)***odds are subject to change***
