Stuttgart scores late in extra time to defeat Freiburg and secure DFB-Pokal final spot

Four bookings were handed out during a fiery five-minute spell at the start, where Maximilian Eggestein vehemently claimed for a spot-kick after being fouled by Angelo Stiller.

The appeals were promptly dismissed, but the visiting supporters soon put that aside as they erupted in joy when Matthias Ginter nodded a half-cleared corner into the six-yard area, allowing Eggestein to tap it beyond Alexander Nübel.

Stuttgart headed into the interval without a single effort on goal, though they certainly tried hard. Right before half-time, Ermedin Demirović lifted a dipping ball in the penalty area high over the crossbar.

The striker then could not connect cleanly with his intended header, just prior to Jamie Leweling curling a near-post shot just wide, and Deniz Undav having a point-blank volley repelled during added time in the first half.

Freiburg had suffered defeats in their prior three visits to Stuttgart in head-to-head matches by a combined 10-0 scoreline, yet the visitors were now 45 minutes away from a rare second DFB-Pokal final appearance as the second half began.

Die Schwaben pressed for an equaliser, with Chris Führich sending a shot wide while free at the far post, as Florian Müller produced his initial stop of the match to scoop a loose ball off the line, seconds before Stiller's powerful drive beat him but was disallowed due to offside in the buildup.

The tension ramped up as Yuito Suzuki was thwarted by a desperate clearance, sparking a break that saw Bilal El Khannouss set up Undav, who drew level with a tidy first-touch strike.

Buoyed by the equaliser, the home team nearly went ahead when Undav's deflected effort from ground level was denied by Müller and the upright working together.

Müller remained vigilant in the closing moments to tip away Führich’s bending attempt before Undav forced another save with a fierce shot, eventually forcing the game into extra time for only the second occasion in Freiburg’s previous 13 fixtures in the tournament.

Lucas Höler netted shortly after the additional period started, but the goal was chalked off by the referee’s whistle for a foul moments before.

On the opposite end, Führich’s venomous volley struck the frame of the goal, prior to Müller somehow blocking El Khannouss following a clever exchange that left the replacement with a clear chance.

Stuttgart kept pushing for the decisive goal, and as spot-kicks approached, Tiago Tomás shattered Freiburg's hopes with a smart timed movement and touch to convert El Khannouss’ driven delivery.

This victory extends Stuttgart’s winning streak in the competition to 11 matches, surpassing a team record, and they will now face Bundesliga title holders Bayern Munich in the final.

For Freiburg, the semi-final losers miss out on a rematch of their 2022 final loss, though they remain in contention for their first major honour via an upcoming UEFA Europa League semi-final.