Arminia Bielefeld captain Mael Corboz believes his team’s recent hardships have strengthened their resilience, as the third-tier side shocked holders Bayer Leverkusen with a 2-1 victory on Tuesday to secure a historic place in their first-ever German Cup final.
Bielefeld’s remarkable cup run has seen them eliminate four Bundesliga teams in successive rounds, making them only the fourth third-division club to reach the final.
Leverkusen took an early lead in the 17th minute through Jonathan Tah, but Marius Wörl quickly responded with an equalizer three minutes later. Maximilian Grosser then netted the decisive goal just before halftime, sealing a memorable upset.
"Every round felt surreal. I could hardly believe it," American midfielder Corboz told reporters after Bielefeld’s previous triumphs over Union Berlin, Freiburg, and Werder Bremen.
Just last season, Arminia narrowly avoided relegation from the 3. Liga, finishing only six points above the drop zone. Now, they sit fourth in the league, six points behind leaders Dynamo Dresden, with a shot at promotion.
"It was the worst-case scenario to concede within the first 20 minutes, but we’ve endured so much over the past year," Corboz said. "One season we’re fighting to stay in the third division, and the next we’re in the DFB-Pokal final."
Bielefeld will face either VfB Stuttgart or RB Leipzig in the final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on May 24.
"The fans have been chanting ‘We’re going to Berlin’ since January," Corboz added.
