RB Leipzig v Union Berlin Live Commentary & Result, 20/04/2022, DFB Pokal

It's Leipzig who'll face Freiburg at the DFB-Pokal final in Berlin next month, then. Can Leipzig make it third time lucky and finally lift the famous trophy? We'll just have to find out! That's all for now. Goodbye!

This is the first time that Leipzig have won after trailing at half-time in the DFB-Pokal since August 2018 against Viktoria Koln. They couldn't have picked a better time to do it. Union will rightly feel hard done by. The visitors had more shots than Leipzig in this match, and held their own under pressure in the second half. Their luck deserted them at the last, though, to Leipzig's benefit.

Leipzig have made it to another DFB-Pokal final in the most dramatic of fashions! Forsberg's late header completed their turnaround just as the game was heading for extra-time. Tedesco's men were given a hard fight by the visitors, who were good value for their first-half lead. Ultimately, the hosts were up for the challenge, equalising through Silva from the spot before Forsberg popped up to break Union hearts.

90' + 5' FULL-TIME: RB LEIPZIG 2-1 UNION BERLIN

M. Simakan

Yellow Card

90' + 4' Simakan is shown a yellow card too for his clash with Michel. He won't mind a bit if it helps wind down the clock for his team.

S. Michel

Yellow Card

90' + 4' Michel tussles with Simakan as the pair race for the byline and end up tripping each other over. The pair butt heads, and Michel is booked for his part in the fracas.

K. Behrens

P. Jaeckel

90' + 3' Jaeckel is also replaced. Behrens, a forward, comes on for Union.

K. Möhwald

G. Prömel

90' + 3' Union make a desperate change now they need a goal. Promel goes off. Mohwald comes on.

B. Henrichs

Assist

90' + 2' That was a delicious cross by Henrichs, and Forsberg met it with some force with his head. Union must feel sick.

E. Forsberg

Goal

90' + 2' GOAL! RB LEIPZIG 2-1 UNION BERLIN! Forsberg pops up to win the game for Leipzig! The hosts go for broke and Angelino's snap effort is cleared off the line by Baumgartl! Leipzig keep the pressure on and the Swede plants Henrech's cross past Ronnow who is rooted to the spot!

90' + 1' There'll be three minutes added onto the regulation 90. Is that enough time for either side to find a winner?

M. Halstenberg

J. Gvardiol

90' Leipzig make another change. Halstenberg replaces Gvardiol.

Y. Poulsen

André Silva

90' Leipzig make a change up front as extra-time approaches. Poulsen replaces Silva, who's been in the thick of the action.

89' Silva buys Leipzig a free-kick down their left. Unfortunately for them, Nkunku gets stars in his eyes and blasts wildly over from range.

87' Leipzig are staying patient, while Union are starting to play with more urgency. Michel has caused Leipzig's defenders a few problems since coming on with his strength and direct running.

85' Gulacsi tips a troublesome Union cross away from danger. Union could steal a late win here if they can craft the right opportunity.

83' Michel's smart turn and shot inside the box earns Union their first corner in a while. From it, the ball comes back to the forward a little further out and he hits it into a crowd of bodies. Union get another corner, which Leipzig clear slightly more convincingly.

82' Union get the chance to escape their side of the pitch when Silva catches Baumgartl.

R. Khedira

Yellow Card

80' Khedira's foul on Forsberg earns him a yellow card. The midfielder will have to be careful with extra-time looming.

79' It's safe to say that Becker wasn't happy with his substitution, as he angrily took his place on the bench. Back on the pitch, Khedira clips Forsberg in Union's half.

S. Michel

T. Awoniyi

77' Awoniyi heads off too. Michel takes his place up front for Union.

A. Voglsammer

S. Becker

77' Hrere come those Union changes. Their goalscorer Becker walks off. Voglsammer replaces him.

76' The Union fans have not gone quiet all game. They've been singing non-stop. They've been fantastic to listen to.

74' Union are preparing another substitution or two. They're still worrying Leipzig on occasion, but the hosts aren't giving them much time on the ball.

72' Forsberg thumps his volley from the edge of the box off-target. The Swedish international is angry not to have tested Ronnow at least.

70' Khedira fires wide from outside the box. Now Leipzig overcommit upfield and Union counter! Awoniyi dashes into space to bear down on goal. He takes aim from the right of the box for the bottom left corner, but his effort only flashes wide.

68' The ball pops up nicely for Awoniyi in the Leipzig box. The Nigerian has the chance to turn and swipe it at goal, but takes too long to do so and the chance passes him by as a defender gets in the way to block.

66' Gvardiol has a crack at goal from outside the box with his left foot. Jaeckel blocks the shot to hand Leipzig a corner. Union survive it, but they're on the back foot.

A. Schäfer

G. Haraguchi

64' Union make their first substitution. The quiet Haraguchi goes off. Schafer replaces him.

64' More on Silva's goal. Leipzig have now scored their last five penalties in the DFB-Pokal, last failing to score in August 2017 when Timo Werner missed from the spot. When opportunities knock for Leipzig in this competition, they by and large manage to take them.

63' The momentum has definitely swung in Leipzig's direction. The hosts get a free-kick down their right whcih they take short. Angelino plops a left-footed cross out for a goal-kick.

E. Forsberg

D. Szoboszlai

62' Leipzig respond to their equaliser by making their first change. Forsberg replaces Szoboszlai.

André Silva

Penalty Goal

61' GOAL! RB LEIPZIG 1-1 UNION BERLIN! Silva makes amends for his miss earlier by deceiving Ronnow and smashing his kick straight down the middle! The Union keeper dives helplessly out of the way. Leipzig are level!

59' PENALTY TO LEIPZIG! The referee watches the incident back and points to the spot! Jaeckel's challenge was very clumsy, and Nkunku made the most of it. It's an obvious penalty.

58' Leipzig have a big penalty shout! Jaeckel catches the back of Nkunku's legs in the box. The referee heads off the pitch to take another look...

56' Union come close to making it 2-0! Becker rolls the ball across the face of the six-yard box for Awoniyi. It comes at an awkward angle for the Nigerian, and his right-footed shot goes just wide.

55' Olmo snatches at the ball from outside the box and forces Ronnow into making a routine save. It's Leipzig's first shot on target, so not something to sniff at.

54' Union are still threatening in flashes. Becker runs into space and looks for his strike partner Awoniyi. His cross is a touch too powerful for his teammate to reach.

52' Leipzig aren't messing around now. They really want the equaliser they need. Silva fouls Ronnow as the pair challenge for a high cross.

50' Silva jinks towards the byline down the left and fails to keep the ball in play. He reacts with friendly incredulity when a goal-kick is given.

49' Trimmel meets the ball in the box with his head. Gulacsi raises his arms to catch the header.

47' Another decent chance goes begging for Leipzig! Orban gets a free header in the centre of the box and isn't too far from finding the bottom right corner with it. He's far enough though.

46' Union get the second half going. No changes at half-time.

Becker's goal is the only shot on target in this game so far. Leipzig haven't had one at all. The hosts have had their moments, especially since going behind, but have lacked that cutting edge in the final third. Union may be ahead but they need to make sure not to cede too much of the initiative to Leipzig. Otherwise the second half could get tense for them.

Union go in ahead in a game that hasn't had many chances but has still been absorbing. The Berliners made the most of a promising start by taking the lead through Becker's cool finish. Since then, Leipzig have dominated possession but haven't been able to make it count. Silva's miss should really have been on target.

45' + 1' HALF-TIME: RB LEIPZIG 0-1 UNION BERLIN

45' Just the one added minute to go before half-time. Silva holds the ball up down the left for Leipzig but is seen off by Trimmel.

45' Ronnow beats Silva to a Leipzig cross from the right. Union will be pleased with how they've managed this first half.

R. Knoche

Yellow Card

43' Knoche picks up Union's first yellow card for a poor challenge on Szoboszlai.

41' Leipzig are passing the ball around with some zip now. Union are doing what they can on the counter. Becker reaches the byline to fizz a low cross into the box, but Leipzig calmly cut it out.

39' Leipzig are starting to raise their game. Knoche catches Nkunku to give a foul away. The hosts float the free-kick into Union's box. Ronnow rushes in to punch it away.

37' What a miss by Silva! Henrichs gets in behind to cross for the striker who's waiting for it in the centre of the box. Somehow the Portuguese marksman drags his shot wide with only Ronnow to beat! Dear oh dear.

K. Laimer

Yellow Card

35' Laimer's booked for that shocker of a tackle. A less kind referee may well have shown him a red card instead of a yellow one.

35' Laimer slides in late on Oczipka with his studs up. Oof. Leipzig are unhappy that a free-kick's given. They should feel lucky that's their only punishment. Jaeckel's caught offside in the aftermath.

33' Nkunku's penalised for tripping the covering Baumgartl. The Leipzig forward protests his innocence, but the referee disagrees.

32' Nkunku plays a round-the-corner pass for Henrichs whose cross is pumped out for a corner. Orban heads wide from Szoboszlai's cross, and Ronnow ends up claiming the ball.

31' The hosts get a free-kick down their right. Szoboszlai tries to take it quickly but is whistled back. In the end it's taken short and doesn't really go anywhere.

29' Olmo wins a free-kick in his own half as he's hassled on the ball by Haraguchi. Leipzig haven't had things easy in this opening half hour.

27' That's Becker's second goal in the DFB-Pokal this season. Union have scored in their last 18 games in this competition now. Their hunger to make the final is evident.

C. Trimmel

Assist

25' Trimmel's cross was just begging for Becker to finish it, and he didn't disappoint. It's first blood to the visitors!

S. Becker

Goal

25' GOAL! RB LEIPZIG 0-1 UNION BERLIN! Becker hands the Berliners the lead! It's a lovely goal too, as the forward runs onto Trimmel's cross to tap the ball first-time back across Gulacsi into the bottom right corner.

23' Awoniyi's run into the channel is curtailed by a well-timed tackle. The Nigerian looks threatening so far.

21' Nkunku slides towards the byline but is unable to keep a promising pass in play. Union will get a goal-kick.

19' Leipzig are starting to get a little more settled into this game after Union's early spell of possession. This is definitely a tighter game than this year's other semi-final.

17' Henrichs darts free down the right as he latches onto Simakan's tempting throughball. The wing-back takes a tumble in the box, but the referee signals an offside decision rather than awarding a penalty. It's the right decision.

15' The corner comes in and Promel meets it in the centre of the box! Gulacsi gets down low to save at his near post. Promel is first to the rebound but can only lash into the side netting.

13' It's still all Union at the moment. Orban hands the Berliners a corner. Trimmel will take it.

11' Leipzig nearly catch out their visitors out on the break. Silva darts down the right and picks out Szoboszlai to the left of the box. The Hungarian takes a touch and fires a cross-cum-shot harmlessly across goal. Nkunku isn't too far from getting on the end of it.

9' Union are enjoying plenty of the ball. Leipzig have barely had a kick of it yet. Awoniyi drops deep and tries to play in Oczipka down the left. His pass is blocked and Union get a throw-in.

7' Union are making life difficult for Leipzig early on. The visitors earn a throw-in down their right. Trimmel swings a cross into the box. It's easily caught by Gulacsi.

5' Union embark on their first real attack down their left side. Awoniyi has a speculative shot blocked from outside the box.

3' Szoboszlai's cross from the right is thumped out for a Leipzig throw-in. The fans are making a fun old racket in the stands.

1' Leipzig get this semi-final underway!

The two teams are out on the pitch here in Leipzig. The hosts are wearing their usual white and red home kit. Union will play in their black away strip.

There are just two changes to Union from their 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend. Trimmel and Oczipka come in.

Leipzig make six changes to their starting 11 from their 1-0 away win over Bayer Leverkusen last time out. Nkunku starts alongside Silva up front, while Lukas Klostermann misses out through illness.

SUBS: Kevin Behrens, Andreas Voglsammer, Jakob Busk, Julian Ryerson, Kevin Mohwald, Dominique Heintz, Andras Schafer, Niko Giesselmann, Sven Michel.

UNION BERLIN (3-5-2): Frederik Ronnow; Paul Jaeckel, Robin Knoche, Timo Baumgartl; Christopher Trimmel, Genki Haraguchi, Rani Khedira, Grischa Promel, Bastian Oczipka; Sheraldo Becker, Taiwo Awoniyi.

SUBS: Marcel Halstenberg, Nordi Mukiele, Sidney Raebiger, Josep Martinez, Hugo Novoa, Tyler Adams, Kevin Kampl, Yussuf Poulsen, Emil Forsberg.

RB LEIPZIG (3-5-2): Péter Gulacsi (c); Mohamed Simakan, Willi Orban, Josko Gvardiol; Benjamin Henrichs, Dani Olmo, Konrad Laimer, Dominik Szoboszlai, Angelino; Christopher Nkunku, Andre Silva.

Standing in Leipzig's way are Union, who are also in contention for a Europa League place in the Bundesliga. The Berliners have only made it to one DFB-Pokal final before; that was back in 2000-01, when they lost to Schalke 04. Rest assured they'll be keen to end their 21-year wait.

RB Leipzig are looking to make it to their third DFB-Pokal final in four years as they host Union Berlin. Domenico Tedesco's men are in the unusual position of being favourites as the highest ranked team left in the competition by league position. There's a big chance that they could finally win Germany's biggest domestic cup, but they have to make it to the final first.

Hello! Welcome to our live text commentary of this DFB-Pokal semi-final match between RB Leipzig and Union Berlin at Red Bull Arena.

RB Leipzig v Union Berlin Live Commentary, 20/04/2022

Key Events

Match Stats

Commentary