German Cup: Borussia Dortmund hammer Leipzig to clinch title

Dortmund players celebrate with the German Cup after their 4-1 win over RB Leipzig in the final at Berlin on Thursday. Pic/AP;PTI

Jadon Sancho and Erling Braut Haaland both netted twice Thursday as Borussia Dortmund won the German Cup with an emphatic 4-1 win over RB Leipzig to spoil Julian Nagelsmann's hopes of leaving with a title. Dortmund turned on the style at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, converting all of their three first-half shots on target to sweep Leipzig aside as Sancho netted twice either side of a superb Haaland goal. "I am very happy that I could score two goals and set up one for Haaland," Sancho told ARD. The England winger could have claimed a hat-trick late on after rounding Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, but failed to get his shot away. "I don't know what happened, I am sure I am going to look back on this game and regret not getting my hat-trick," Sancho admitted. "Next time I will shoot first - sorry Dortmund fans." Spain midfielder Dani Olmo pulled a goal back for Leipzig, before Haaland grabbed his second in the dying stages despite slipping as he connected. Dortmund lifted the German Cup for the fifth time in the club's history. "It's unbelievable, I am proud of the morale the team has shown in the last few weeks," said captain Marco Reus as Dortmund have also recently got back into the Bundesliga's Champions League places.

Nagelsmann empty handed

Defeat in Berlin dashed Nagelsmann's hopes of winning the first senior title of his coaching career before leaving after two years coaching RB Leipzig to take the helm at Bayern Munich next season. RB Leipzig, who were only founded in 2009, are also waiting for a first major title having also lost the 2019 German Cup final to Bayern. "I'm proud of the team, but it's not good to lose a final," admitted Nagelsmann. "We were a bit too passive in our own box and we had to much to do at 3-0 down." Haaland returned to the Dortmund line-up after a leg injury kept him out of the two previous games, including Saturday's 3-2 home win over Leipzig in a dress rehearsal for the final. Sancho, who also scored twice on Saturday, put Dortmund ahead with just five minutes gone.

After Dortmund captain Marco Reus robbed Kevin Kampl of possession, the ball was worked to the edge of the area, where Sancho curled his shot around Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Dortmund converted their second shot on goal when Haaland made it 2-0 on 28 minutes. He sprinted onto Reus' pass, beat Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano, who will follow Nagelsmann to Bayern next season, and curled his shot around Gulacsi. It took Leipzig until seven minutes before half-time to create a clear chance when Haaland's Norway team-mate Alexander Sorloth fired into the side netting.

Sancho grabbed his second just before the half-time whistle when he tapped into an empty net from Reus' pass after Dortmund opened Leipzig's defence before the VAR confirmed there was no offside. Leipzig were much improved in the second-half. With his side 3-0 down at half-time, Nagelsmann swapped both forwards with Sorloth and South Korea's Hwang Hee-chan for Yussuf Poulsen and Christopher Nkunku, who made an immediate impact. Just 25 seconds after the break, Nkunku's chip clipped Dortmund's crossbar from Amadou Haidara's cross while Poulsen fired two chances wide. At the other end, Thorgan Hazard, a half-time replacement for Jude Bellingham, squandered a chance to make it 4-0 with the goal at his mercy with an hour gone. Olmo pulled a goal back on 71 minutes when he slotted home from the edge of the area. Sancho squandered a late chance to claim his hat-trick when he waited a fraction too long after rounding Gulacsi and scuffed his shot before Haaland netted his second to send the title to Dortmund.

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