**Kaiserslautern Ends Saarbruecken’s German Cup Fairytale with 2-0 Semifinal Victory**
SAARBRUECKEN, Germany (AP) — Kaiserslautern ended third-division Saarbruecken’s fairytale run to the German Cup semifinals with a 2-0 win on Tuesday, securing their place in the final.
Almamy Touré assisted Marlon Ritter for the first goal and then scored the second himself, as second-division Kaiserslautern became the first German Cup finalist from outside the top flight since 2011.
Kaiserslautern will head to the Olympiastadion in Berlin on May 25 to face either Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen or second-tier Fortuna Duesseldorf, competing for the cup and a spot in next season’s Europa League.
Kaiserslautern, a four-time German champion, currently struggles in the second division, battling against potential relegation to the third tier. A victory in the May final would be their first trophy since winning the league title in 1998 and their third cup win overall.
Saarbruecken, which had previously knocked out three top-division teams, including Bayern Munich, had to contend with rain just to host the game. The stadium, prone to flooding, was carefully prepared after the team’s last league game on Saturday was rescheduled, and the field was covered with a tarp to protect it from rain.
Saarbruecken’s best chance to take the lead came just before halftime when Kai Brünker’s diving header narrowly missed the post. Kaiserslautern then scored twice in the second half to secure the win.
On their way to the semifinals, Saarbruecken earned an estimated 6.5 million euros ($7 million), a significant amount for a club of its size.
Kaiserslautern’s path to the final was relatively smooth despite their second-tier status, with their only encounter with a Bundesliga team being a 3-2 win over struggling Cologne in October’s second round.
