 Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 2014–15 DFB-Pokal | ||||||
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| Date | 30 May 2015 (2015-05-30) | ||||||
| Venue | Olympiastadion,Berlin | ||||||
| Referee | Felix Brych (Munich)[1] | ||||||
| Attendance | 75,815 | ||||||
| Weather | Partly cloudy 13 °C (55 °F) 46%humidity[2] | ||||||
←2014 2016 → | |||||||
The2015 DFB-Pokal Final decided the winner of the2014–15 DFB-Pokal, the 72nd season of Germany's premier football cup. It was played on 30 May 2015 at theOlympiastadion inBerlin.
Borussia Dortmund, runners-up inthe previous final, facedVfL Wolfsburg, who won the game 3–1 to capture their first title, with all four goals in the first half.[3][4][5][6]
As winners, Wolfsburg played againstBayern Munich, champions of the2014–15 Bundesliga, in the2015 DFL-Supercup, winning in a penalty shoot-out. Wolfsburg also would have qualified for the group stage of the2015–16 UEFA Europa League, although they had already qualified for the2015–16 UEFA Champions League via their league position. Because of this, the sixth-placed team in the Bundesliga,Schalke 04, earned automatic qualification for the group stage of next year's edition of theUEFA Europa League, and the league's third qualifying round spot went to the team in seventh, Borussia Dortmund; this was the first season in which the cup runners-up would not have qualified for the Europa League if the cup winner had qualified for theChampions League via their league position.[7]
It was Dortmund's seventh final and they have a record of three victories (most recently against Bayernin 2012) and three defeats (most recently against the same opponents two years later). Wolfsburg's only prior appearance wasin 1995, losing 0–3 toBorussia Mönchengladbach.[8] Wolfsburg midfielderJunior Malanda died in a car accident in January 2015. In his honour, they wore shirts with his squad number 19 within a heart.[9]
The game was Dortmund managerJürgen Klopp's final match, after seven years in charge of the team.[10]
The DFB-Pokal began with 64 teams in asingle-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 ofextra time was played. If the score was still level, apenalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner.[11]
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| Borussia Dortmund | Round | VfL Wolfsburg | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | 2014–15 DFB-Pokal | Opponent | Result |
| Stuttgarter Kickers (A) | 4–1 | First round | Darmstadt 98 (A) | 0–0 (a.e.t.)(5–4p) |
| FC St. Pauli (A) | 3–0 | Second round | 1. FC Heidenheim (H) | 4–1 |
| Dynamo Dresden (A) | 2–0 | Round of 16 | RB Leipzig (A) | 2–0 |
| 1899 Hoffenheim (H) | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Quarter-finals | SC Freiburg (H) | 1–0 |
| Bayern Munich (A) | 1–1 (a.e.t.)(2–0p) | Semi-finals | Arminia Bielefeld (A) | 4–0 |
Borussia Dortmund, of theBundesliga, started the tournament in the first round on 17 August 2014, playing away at3. Liga clubStuttgarter Kickers, and winning 4–1 with goals byHenrikh Mkhitaryan,Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2) andAdrián Ramos.[12] On 28 October, they played the second round away atFC St. Pauli of the2. Bundesliga, winning 3–0 with goals fromCiro Immobile,Marco Reus andShinji Kagawa.[13] The third round on 3 March 2015 again had Dortmund travel, to third-tierDynamo Dresden, where they won 2–0 from two goals by Immobile in the second half, after losing Reus to injury in the first half.[14]
Dortmund's first home fixture of the tournament came in the quarter-finals on 7 April, against their first top-flight opponent,TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. They gained the lead when defenderNeven Subotić volleyed from a corner kick, but within two minutesKevin Volland equalised with his own volley. Shortly afterwards, Subotić's defensive error allowedRoberto Firmino to put Hoffenheim into the lead. In the second half, Aubameyang equalised for Dortmund, heading inErik Durm's cross. The game went to extra time, in whichSebastian Kehl scored a long-range volleyed winner for Dortmund.[15] On 28 April, Dortmund went to theAllianz Arena to face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, a repeat of the last season's final. The hosts took the lead throughRobert Lewandowski, whom they had signed from Dortmund in the summer, but Dortmund equalised with 15 minutes to play, Aubameyang finishing Mkhitaryan's cross. The game went to apenalty shootout, in which all four Bayern takers including goalkeeperManuel Neuer missed, but Dortmund'sİlkay Gündoğan and Kehl scored.[16]
VfL Wolfsburg, also of the Bundesliga, began in the first round away to 2. Bundesliga clubSV Darmstadt 98 on 17 August. After a goalless draw, they won on penalties:Naldo missed their first attempt, butMaurice Exslager andMilan Ivana missed for the hosts. They then hosted a 4–1 win over second-tier1. FC Heidenheim in the second round: despite concedingMarc Schnatterer's opener for the visitors, they replied with goals byDaniel Caligiuri,Bas Dost andLuiz Gustavo (2). In the third round on 4 March, they travelled to theRed Bull Arena where they defeated 2. Bundesliga clubRB Leipzig 2–0, with a goal in either half from Caligiuri andTimm Klose.
In the quarter-finals on 7 April, Wolfsburg hosted their first top-flight opponent,SC Freiburg. In the second half, Caligiuri was fouled byJulian Schuster for a penalty, whichRicardo Rodríguez converted pastRoman Bürki for the only goal of the game.[15] They played away to third-tierDSC Arminia Bielefeld in the semi-finals 22 days later. Wolfsburg won 4–0, with two goals byMaximilian Arnold and further strikes by Luiz Gustavo andIvan Perišić.[10]
| Borussia Dortmund | 1–3 | VfL Wolfsburg |
|---|---|---|
Aubameyang 5' | Report |
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         Borussia Dortmund |     VfL Wolfsburg |
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Assistant referees:[1] | Match rules
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