The 2021 DFB-Pokal Final decided the winner of the 2020–21 DFB-Pokal, the 78th season of the annual German football cup competition. The match was played on Thursday, 13 May 2021 (on the Feast of the Ascension, a German public holiday) at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.[4][5] The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, 22 May 2021,[6] but was moved to an earlier date prior to the completion of the league season in Germany. This was due to fixture density caused by the late start of the season, originating from the postponement of the end of the previous season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As with other competitions, the match was played behind closed doors without any spectators.[3]
 Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 2020–21 DFB-Pokal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | 13 May 2021 | ||||||
| Venue | Olympiastadion, Berlin | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Felix Brych (Munich)[2] | ||||||
| Attendance | 0[note 1] | ||||||
The match featured RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund won the final 4–1 for their fifth DFB-Pokal title.[7]
Due to the scheduling change, the match was the first DFB-Pokal final since 2008 to be played prior to the end of the league season, and the first final since 1985 to not be played on a Saturday. Additionally, it was the first final not played on a weekend since 1984, which was also the only prior final played on a Thursday.[4]
As winners, Borussia Dortmund featured in the 2021 edition of the DFL-Supercup at the start of the following season, and facing the champion of the 2020–21 edition of the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich. The winner of the DFB-Pokal also earns automatic qualification for the group stage of the 2021–22 edition of the UEFA Europa League. However, as Dortmund already qualified for the 2021–22 edition of the UEFA Champions League through their position in the Bundesliga, the spot went to the team in sixth, and the league's UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round spot went to the team in seventh.[8]
Teams edit
In the following table, finals until 1943 were in the Tschammerpokal era, since 1953 were in the DFB-Pokal era.
| Team | Previous final appearances (bold indicates winners) |
|---|---|
| RB Leipzig | 1 (2019) |
| Borussia Dortmund | 9 (1963, 1965, 1989, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) |
Background edit
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Route to the final edit
The DFB-Pokal began with 64 teams in a single-elimination knockout cup competition. There were a total of five rounds leading up to the final. Teams were drawn against each other, and the winner after 90 minutes would advance. If still tied, 30 minutes of extra time was played. If the score was still level, a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner.[9]
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| RB Leipzig | Round | Borussia Dortmund | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | 2020–21 DFB-Pokal | Opponent | Result |
| 1. FC Nürnberg | 3–0 (A) | First round | MSV Duisburg | 5–0 (A) |
| FC Augsburg | 3–0 (A) | Second round | Eintracht Braunschweig | 2–0 (A) |
| VfL Bochum | 4–0 (H) | Round of 16 | SC Paderborn | 3–2 (a.e.t.) (H) |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2–0 (H) | Quarter-finals | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 1–0 (A) |
| Werder Bremen | 2–1 (a.e.t.) (A) | Semi-finals | Holstein Kiel | 5–0 (H) |
Match edit
Details edit
         RB Leipzig
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     Borussia Dortmund
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[2]
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See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ a b The final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.[3]
- ^ Each team was given only three opportunities to make substitutions, with a fourth opportunity in extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.
References edit
- ^ a b German Football Association [@DFB_Pokal] (14 May 2021). "Pokalsieger und euer Man of the Match bei RBL-BVB: Marco Reus!" [Cup winner and your Man of the Match of RBL-BVB: Marco Reus!] (Tweet) (in German). Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c d e "Brych leitet Pokalfinale in Berlin" [Brych officiates cup final in Berlin]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ a b "DFB-Pokalfinale in Berlin ohne Zuschauer" [DFB-Pokal Final in Berlin without spectators]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Alle DFB-Pokalsieger" [All DFB-Pokal winners]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Rahmenterminkalender 2020/2021: Saison startet mit DFB-Pokal" [Framework schedule 2020–21: Season starts with DFB-Pokal]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "DFB-Präsidium verabschiedet Rahmenterminkalender 2020/2021" [DFB executive committee passes framework schedule 2020/2021]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
- ^ "4:1 gegen Leipzig: Dortmund feiert fünften Pokalsieg" [4–1 against Leipzig: Dortmund celebrates fifth cup win]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Strategic talks in Dubrovnik". UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- ^ "Modus" [Mode]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- ^ "Spielordnung" [Match rules] (PDF). DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. p. 58 (60 of PDF). Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Durchführungsbestimmungen" [Implementation regulations] (PDF). DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. sec. 31. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
External links edit
- Official website
- Match report at kicker.de (in German)
- Match report at WorldFootball.net
- Match report at Fussballdaten.de (in German)