Arminia Bielefeld vs Stuttgart

In the DFB-Pokal final, a Europa League spot is on the line as Stuttgart aim to halt Arminia Bielefeld’s remarkable journey on Saturday.

Third-division outfit Arminia Bielefeld stunned defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with a 2-1 victory in the semi-final on April 1, while Bundesliga side Stuttgart overcame RB Leipzig 3-1 in their semi-final on April 2.

Die Arminen restricted Leverkusen to a mere 0.29 xG from open play, with the champions managing only 22 touches in the box compared to Bielefeld’s 20.

Having secured promotion to the 2. Bundesliga by topping the 3. Bundesliga, Bielefeld boasted the division’s joint third-highest goal tally (64) and the stingiest defense (36 goals conceded).

Die Blauen previously faced Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal’s second round in October 2022, suffering a 6-0 defeat, but they’ve since toppled top-tier teams in their last four cup matches.

Under coach Michel Kniat, Bielefeld have netted 11 goals while conceding just three across five matches in this season’s tournament.

The team is unbeaten in their last 13 games, securing 11 victories and seven clean sheets during that run.

Stuttgart, meanwhile, closed their 2024-25 Bundesliga campaign with a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig on May 17, marking their third straight victory.

Sebastian Hoeness’s squad scored eight goals and kept two clean sheets in those three matches, while dominating the DFB-Pokal with a 14-2 aggregate score across their five cup games this season.

Two of Stuttgart’s three goals against Leipzig came from corner kicks, reflecting their league-leading 18 set-piece goals in the Bundesliga.

Despite a disappointing ninth-place finish in the Bundesliga, Hoeness’s team has a chance to claim their first trophy since the 2006-07 Bundesliga title.

A win for Die Roten would secure their fourth DFB-Pokal crown, while a Bielefeld victory would make them the 22nd unique winner of the cup since 1952-53 and the first team from outside Germany’s top two tiers to lift the trophy.