Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Kovac's Eintracht stun Schalke to set up final with Bayern

Soccer Football - DFB Cup - Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - April 18, 2018 Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic celebrates after reaching the final REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

BERLIN (Reuters) - Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic scored a 75th minute winner to stun hosts Schalke 04 1-0 on Wednesday and earn his manager Niko Kovac a date with Bayern Munich, the club he will coach from next season, in the German Cup final.

Eintracht, losing finalists last year, will get their chance for silverware again when they take on overwhelming favourites Bayern, 6-2 winners against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, in the final in Berlin on May 19.

The 20-year-old Jovic stabbed in from a corner against the run of play to set up an extraordinary final clash for Kovac.

Soccer Football - DFB Cup - Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - April 18, 2018 Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic scores their first goal REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

The Croat this week signed a three-year contract at Bayern from next season, leaving Frankfurt angry with the Bundesliga champions over the poaching of their coach, who has turned them from relegation candidates into European hopefuls this season.

"We are here, we are in the final now and we can all be happy. Everyone who is associated with the club," Kovac, who used a special clause to get out of his Eintracht contract to sign with Bayern, told reporters.

"Of course, I want to win the final. We wanted it last year (against Borussia Dortmund). This year it is a different team but, again, a top team."

Soccer Football - DFB Cup - Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - April 18, 2018 Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic in action with Schalke's Leon Goretzka and Naldo REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

The game at Schalke lacked the fireworks of Bayern's semi-final and needed more than an hour to catch light with the hosts having the far better chances.

Guido Burgstaller twice came close and forced a few superb saves from Lukas Hradecky but they could not convert any of them before their opponents struck from a set piece.

Eintracht were left with 10 men in the 81st minute when substitute Gelson Ferdandes, who had only been on the pitch for 33 seconds, was shown a straight red card for a rough challenge on Leon Goretzka.

Soccer Football - DFB Cup - Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - April 18, 2018 Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic in action with Schalke's Naldo REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

Schalke tried desperately to find an equaliser and actually had the ball in the net deep into stoppage time only for the referee to rule it out for handball.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ian Chadband)

Soccer Football -DFB Cup - Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - April 18, 2018 Eintracht Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac before the match REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
Soccer Football -DFB Cup - Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - April 18, 2018 Schalke's Guido Burgstaller in action REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
Soccer Football - DFB Cup - Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - April 18, 2018 Eintracht Frankfurt's Danny da Costa in action with Schalke's Guido Burgstaller REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
Soccer Football -DFB Cup - Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - April 18, 2018 Eintracht Frankfurt's Lukas Hradecky watches a shot go wide REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.