Second division Kaiserslautern have ended the fairytale run of third tier Saarbruecken in the German Cup to reach the final for the first time in 21 years.
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Almamy Toure set up Marlon Ritter to head the opening goal in the 53rd minute with some help from goalkeeper Tim Schreiber, and then clinched matters himself with a 75th-minute header for visiting twice Cup winners Kaiserslautern on Wednesday (AEDT).
The 2-0 defeat ended Saarbrucken's remarkable campaign during which they had upset a Bundesliga trio of record Cup winners Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Moenchengladbach.
In the May 25 final in Berlin, Kaiserslautern will face either runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who are unbeaten all season in all competitions, or second division rivals Fortuna Duesseldorf who contest the other semi-final on Thursday.
"It is bitter that it ends with a mistake of mine," Schreiber said.
"I feel extremely sorry for the team, they all fought so well. It was a fairytale."
Kaiserslautern are the first second-tier team in the final since Duisburg in 2011.
They won the Cup in 1990 and 1996, the second title coming a week after being relegated from the Bundesliga. They could face a similar scenario this term in their eighth final, being in the danger zone in the second tier. Their last final was in 2003, losing against Bayern.
"The lads were fantastic and we had the necessary luck. We had to be patient and not allow counter attacks, that was the reason why Bayern and Gladbach failed," recently appointed Kaiserslautern coach Friedhelm Funkel, the 70-year-old who as a player won the Cup with Uerdingen and reached the final with Kaiserslautern, told broadcasters ARD.
Australian Associated Press
