SC Freiburg defeated Hertha BSC 5-4 on penalties in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. After a 1-1 draw in extra time, goalkeeper Florian Müller saved the decisive penalty from Pascal Klemens. Hertha's dream of a first cup final at the Olympiastadion has been shattered.
At Berlin's Olympiastadion, 56,743 spectators watched an even match between second-division Hertha BSC and Bundesliga side SC Freiburg. The game was goalless after 90 minutes, with goals coming late in extra time: Yuito Suzuki scored for Freiburg in the 96th minute following a mistake by Hertha's Linus Gechter. Hertha captain Fabian Reese equalized in the 104th minute with a long-range shot to make it 1-1.
In the penalty shootout, all Freiburg players scored, while goalkeeper Florian Müller saved the decisive kick from Hertha's Pascal Klemens, securing a 5-4 win. Freiburg joins Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart in the semifinals; the final spot goes to the winner of Bayern Munich versus RB Leipzig. SC captain Christian Günter told Sky: «Schöner geht es nicht. We have memories of this stadium. The last one wasn't so nice. All the nicer to stand and celebrate in the curve today.»
Before the game, Hertha coach Stefan Leitl criticized Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner for missing the match due to an Olympics visit. Wegner, who recently spoke of his dream of a Hertha final, instead emphasized Berlin's ambitions for the Olympic Games. For Hertha in the 2. Bundesliga, six points behind the promotion spot, the pressure is mounting. Freiburg is one win away from a second final appearance, having lost on penalties to Leipzig in 2022.
