Bundesliga
Leipzig into last four with Wolfsburg win
Benjamin Šeško's second-half penalty fired RB Leipzig past Wolfsburg and into the 2024/25 DFB Cup semi-finals.
RB Leipzig 1-0 Wolfsburg
Goals: 1-0 Šeško (pen. 68')
Leipzig and Wolfsburg didn't disappoint in the first half of an absorbing all-Bundesliga clash, with Loïs Openda setting the tone with an early close-range warning shot that sailed just wide of the upright. Wolfsburg were quick to return fire as Tiago Tomás blazed off target and Joakim Mæhle went within a whisker of turninig in a telling ball into the box. Stand-in Leipzig goalkeeeper Maarten Vandevoordt was made to work by Mohamed Amoura and Andreas Skov Olsen, before pulling off the save of the half to prevent Patrick Wimmer's snap-shot from sneaking in at his near post.
Amoura went closer still within three minutes of the restart, the Algerian forward's looping header cannoning back off the top of the crossbar. Skov Olsen was the next to try his luck for Wolfsburg, but his rising strike was pushed to safety by the full-stretch Vandevoordt. Leipzig responded in kind as Šeško missed with a gilt-edged header. The Slovenian made amends moments later, though, scoring from the spot after Kilian Fischer had been penalised for handball. There were big chances at both ends in a thrilling finale as Leipzig held on to join holders Bayer Leverkusen, Bundesliga rivals VfB Stuttgart and 3. Liga's Arminia Bielefeld in the last four.
Match stats
- Leipzig won the DFB Cup in 2021/22 and 2022/23, before going out to Wolfsburg in the 2023/24 second round. They are on course to reach their fifth final in seven seasons.
- Only Leverkusen's Patrik Schick has more goals this season's DFB Cup (four) than Šeško (three). Openda has also scored three times.
- Šeško now has 17 competitive goals so far this term - just one less than in his first full season in Leipzig colours.
- Marco Rose's team are the 2024/25 DFB Cup's 12-goal top scorers.
- Wolfsburg conceded their first DFB Cup goal of the campaign.
- The Wolves have lost eight of their last nine cup ties away at fellow Bundesliga clubs, including three against Leipzig.
Teams
Leipzig: Vandevoordt - Geertruida (Klostermann 90'), Orbán (c), Bitshiabu (Castello Jr. 74') - Baku, Kampl (Haidara 74'), Vermeeren (Seiwald 90'), Raum - Xavi - Openda, Šeško
Unused subs: Gulácsi, Baumgartner, Nedeljković, Gomis, Gebel
Out: Henrichs (Achilles), Nusa (knee), Ouédraogo (hamstring), Poulsen (muscular), Schlager (knee)
Coach: Marco Rose
Wolfsburg: Müller - Fischer (Kamiński 87'), Vavro, Koulierakis, Mæhle - Tomás (Behrens 87'), Svanberg (c), Dardai (Gerhardt 81'), Wimmer (Vranckx 81'), Skov Olsen (Wind 71') - Amoura
Unused subs: Pervan, Roerslev, Odogu, Bröger
Out: Arnold (knee), Bialek (knee), Grabara (thigh), Majer (ankle), Nmecha (adductor), Paredes (foot), Rogério (knee)
Coach: Ralph Hasenhüttl
As it happened!
1 - 0(0 - 0)
Leipzig
FINAL
Wolfsburg
90' +6
Openda forces Müller into diving save
Everybody is forward now for Wolfsburg and that gives Openda room to counter. He is one-on-one with Koulierakis and is able to work some space to force a good save out of Müller.
90' +3
vs
Mattias Svanberg
90' +3
vs
Loïs Openda
90' +3
vs
Christoph Baumgartner
Xavi Simons
90' +1
Five minutes added on
Can Wolfsburg find a way through in the final few minutes?
90'
vs
Nicolas Seiwald
Arthur Vermeeren
90'
vs
Lukas Klostermann
Lutsharel Geertruida
87'
End-to-end
At one end Šeško has a huge chance to make it 2-0 but he can only hit the goalkeeper. Wolfsburg then go straight up the other end where Vandevoort has to be alive to narrow the angle for Behrens.
87'
vs
Jakub Kamiński
Kilian Fischer
87'
vs
Kevin Behrens
Tiago Tomás
86'
vs
Amadou Haidara
84'
Haidara almost produces the spectacular
The ball comes out to Amadou Haidara on the edge of the box who unleashes an absolute piledriver of a volley that Müller does well to parry.
83'
Xavi fires narrowly wide
Xavi with space to run into but he loses his footing. It seems the chance is gone but he recovers well before firing a left-footed shot that is deflected narrowly wide.
82'
vs
Castello Lukeba
80'
vs
Yannick Gerhardt
Bence Dardai
80'
vs
Aster Vranckx
Patrick Wimmer
79'
Almost 2-0
Raum wins the ball back in a dangerous position before whipping in a cross. Orbán can't quite get on the end of it but his pressure on the defender wins his side a corner.
74'
vs
Amadou Haidara
Kevin Kampl
74'
vs
Castello Lukeba
El Chadaille Bitshiabu
73'
Wolfsburg looking for an answer
Amoura finds Dardai who hits one but it swerves away from the target.
70'
vs
Joakim Mæhle
71'
vs
Jonas Wind
Andreas Skov Olsen
66'
Penalty to the hosts!
Šeško tries to whip in a cross from inside the area but it strikes the hand of Kilian Fischer and the ref points to the spot.
64'
Best chance of the match!
Raum whips in a fantastic delivery from a wide free-kick and it is Šeško who gets on the end of it but he can only glance his header wide from close range.
58'
Openda fires wide
Vandevoort claims a cross before launching a kick long to Šeško. He then finds Openda with a cross but the Belgian can only fire his initial effort against the covering defender before putting his second attempt wide.
55'
Tomás into row Z
Tomás becomes the latest to sting the hands of the fans behind the goal.
49'
Wolfsburg almost break through again
This time Vandevoort does make a save as he dives across to tip Skov Olsen's effort away for a corner.
48'
Off the bar!
Wolfsburg win a corner early on. The ball is floated to the back post where Amoura meets it but the Algerian is denied by the crossbar.
46'
We're back underway
Leipzig kick off the second half.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
0 - 0
Half-time
45' +3
Simple for Müller
Leipzig work the ball well to give Xavi Simons some space but his cross is claimed comfortably by Müller to finish the half.
45' +3
One last chance?
Leipzig have a corner to finish the half.
45'
Wimmer almost squeezes the ball home
Wimmer gets on the end of a good passing move before shooting from an ambitious angle. Vandevoort is alert though and gets down well to palm it away for a corner.
43'
Raum into the stands
This time it is David Raum that tests the gloves of the fans in the upper echelons behind the goal. Another wayward effort.
39'
Both sides cancelling each other out
This game has been more of a battle than a spectacle of free-flowing stylish football so far but it still makes for an entertaining match.
31'
Another effort from range
This time Skov Olsen works himself some space on the edge of the area but again it is simple for the Leipzig keeper.
30'
Amoura forces a save
Tomás moves forward at pace for the away side before feeding Amoura who then cuts inside and strikes one but it is simple for Vandevoordt.
29'
Stop-start
The game has become a bit stop-start in the last few minutes. Fischer has suffered a couple of knocks that have required treatment and lots of fouls have caused stoppages in play.
26'
Lots of energy but a lot of loose passes
Both teams are certainly up for this. Lots of ground is being covered but the game is lacking a touch of real quality so far.
17'
Openda goes for the spectacular!
The Belgian has certainly been full of life in the early stages. This time he tries an acrobatic bicycle kick but his effort is way off target.
12'
Šeško into the stands
Just like his teammate moments before, Šeško strikes one from range but the ball ends up high in the stands.
11'
Wild from Openda
The Belgian picks up the ball in space before running at the Wolfsburg defence at pace. He then tries an ambitious strike that flies high over the goal.
7'
Another chance for Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg again come forward with pace. This time it is Mæhle who is inches away from turning the ball home on the slide. The flag was up anyway though so it wouldn't have counted.
6'
Tomás with a chance!
Wolfsburg then go straight up the other end and nearly make it 1-0. Wimmer finds Tomás who fires narrowly over the bar from a tight angle.
5'
Leipzig come close!
First chance of the game for the hosts as Openda fires narrowly wide from close range!
1'
We're underway!
The last of our quarter-final clashes is underway.
0 - 0