Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday edged Schalke 04 1-0 away to book their place in the DFB Pokal final against Bayern Munich.
Luka Jovic scored with his heel after a corner with 15 minutes remaining for Frankfurt to reach Germany’s season-ending showpiece in Berlin’s Olympiastadion for the second year in a row.
Frankfurt lost to Borussia Dortmund last season.
The win means Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac will face his future club in the final, with Bayern announcing last week that he would take charge of the Bundesliga champions this summer.
Franco di Santo thought he had equalized in stoppage-time after a dramatic finale, but referee Robert Hartmann ruled the goal out after determining that the Argentine controlled the dropping ball with his arm before firing the ball into the top-left corner.
It had been a game of little goalmouth action until Jovic scored.
Lukas Hradecky got the better of Schalke’s Guido Burgstaller in a one-on-one just minutes before, and the Frankfurt goalkeeper followed up with another good save to deny Yevhen Konoplyanka.
The home side’s chances of a comeback were boosted when Gelson Fernandes was sent off with 10 minutes left for a bad challenge on Leon Goretzka just 33 seconds after coming on as a substitute.
Hartmann initially showed a yellow card, but changed it to red after getting prompted to take another look by the video assistant referee.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt yesterday backed Nick Champion de Crespigny to be the team’s “roving scavenger” after handing him a shock debut in the opening Test against the British and Irish Lions Test in Brisbane. Hard man Champion de Crespigny, who spent three seasons at French side Castres before moving to the Western Force this year, is to get his chance tomorrow with first-choice blindside flanker Rob Valetini not fully fit. His elevation is an eye-opener, preferred to Tom Hooper, but Schmidt said he had no doubt about his abilities. “I keep an eye on the Top 14 having coached there many years
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