Berlin, (AFP) - Leipzig hopes to continue its march towards winning the first title in its history in the German Football Cup competition, when Onion meets Berlin on Wednesday in the semi-finals, while the semi-finals open on Tuesday with a second-class Hamburg match with Freiburg.
And after the exit of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, the defending champion, and Bayer Leverkusen, Leipzig appears to be the most prominent candidate to win its first title in the cup, after losing last year’s final against Dortmund 1-4 and 2019 against the Bavarian giants, 0-3.

Of the three candidates, only Hamburg has won the cup three times, but the last crown for the club, which now plays in the second division, dates back to 1987.
Leipzig, who is ecstatic by qualifying for the semi-finals of the European League competition at the expense of Italian Atalanta, enters the confrontation with Union Berlin, with a record without loss in its last 14 matches in various competitions (10 wins against 4 draws), specifically since its loss against Bayern Munich 2-3 in the twenty-first stage. On the fifth of last February.
The only loss was for the companions of French international striker Christopher Nkunku in 2022.
It will not be an easy task for Leipzig against Union Berlin, who will play the quarter-finals for the first time in more than 20 years, specifically the 2000-2001 season, when they lost the final against Schalke 04-2.
Leipzig coach Domenico Tedesco warned his players against haste and overconfidence, and said, "We should not lose our patience." Tedesco said that American midfielder Tyler Adams will join the list of absentees, along with Danish striker Youssef Poulsen and Malian midfielder Amadou Haidara, due to injury.

In the second match, Freiburg is looking forward to crowning its impressive performances this season, as it competes for one of the cards that qualify for the three continental competitions: the Champions League, the European League “Europa League” and the Conference League.
Freiburg ranks fifth in the Bundesliga with 51 points, one behind Bayer Leverkusen IV and three behind Leipzig III.

On the other hand, Hamburg coach Tim Walter confirmed that his team could achieve a surprise against Freiburg. He said in a press statement on Monday, "The competitor is playing in a higher league and is on his way to play in the Champions League. Formally, we are the ones who challenge him."