Stuttgart beat Freiburg in extra time to reach German Cup final

BERLIN: Stuttgart booked their place in the German Cup final after a 2-1 extra-time victory over Freiburg on Thursday, with Tiago Tomas scoring a dramatic winner in the 119th minute.

The late goal came from an inventive back-heel finish that sent Stuttgart into a final against Bayern Munich and kept alive their bid to retain the German Cup. The final is scheduled to be played in Berlin on May 23.

Freiburg had moved in front in the 28th minute and looked set for a second appearance in the German Cup final before Stuttgart fought back in the second half. Maximilian Eggestein put the visitors ahead after getting a touch to a Matthias Ginter header and directing the ball beyond Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel.

Stuttgart had an opportunity to draw level shortly before halftime, but former Freiburg forward Ermedin Demirovic sent a close-range effort over the crossbar. Freiburg also produced a series of committed defensive interventions, including a full-body block by visiting striker Igor Matanovic to deny a Deniz Undav attempt just before the interval.

Just after the hour mark, Stuttgart thought they had equalised when Angelo Stiller drove a shot across goal and into the corner. However, the effort was ruled out because Demirovic, who had helped create the move, was offside.

The home side eventually found their equaliser with 20 minutes left in normal time. Undav finished a counterattack that stretched from one end of the field to the other to make it 1-1 and force Freiburg onto the back foot.

Stuttgart then created several chances before the end of regulation time. Undav struck the right post and sent another effort narrowly wide of the left, while Freiburg goalkeeper Florian Mueller kept out a shot from Chris Fuehrich.

Freiburg were left frustrated early in extra time when Lucas Hoeler had the ball in the net, but the goal did not stand because the referee had already blown for what was described as a soft foul moments earlier, preventing a VAR review.

"It was never a foul. We won, we're satisfied. If I were the striker, I would be annoyed. Good luck for us, tough for Freiburg," Undav said.

With the match appearing to be headed for a penalty shootout, Tomas produced the decisive moment in the final minute of extra time. He rose high and guided a clever back-heel into the left-hand corner to seal Stuttgart's place in the showpiece match.

Stuttgart had begun the German football season with a home Supercup meeting against newly crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern, and they will now face the same opponents again in the last domestic match of the campaign.

"Im done. It was a whole body fight," Undav told Sky Germany, before praising Tomas. "119th minute, pure drama -- that's the best kind of goal you can score as a striker. That was world class."

Final set against Bayern Munich

The result means Stuttgart will meet Bayern Munich in the German Cup final after surviving a demanding contest that swung late in extra time. Freiburg, who had been on course for another final appearance after Eggestein's opener, were ultimately denied by Stuttgart's late recovery and Tomas' decisive finish.