Who are Saarbrucken? The fourth division German side looking to make history in semi-final showdown with Bayer Leverkusen
Saarbrucken have become the first team from the fourth division to reach this stage of the DFB-Pokal – and already have two Bundesliga scalps under their belts
The magic of the cup is still going strong in Deutschland as FC Saarbrucken prepare for a German Cup semi-final clash with Bayer Leverkusen this evening.
The tiny team from the western state of Saarland - on the German-French border - became the first team from outside Germany’s top three divisions to reach the semis when they defeated top-flight club Fortuna Dusseldorf on penalties at the beginning of March. They’d already seen off Bundesliga side Cologne in the second round, as well as second division side Karlsruhe in the last-16.
While other teams from the fourth-tier have their feet up awaiting a new season, Saarbrucken have spent the last 93 days preparing for the biggest match in the club’s history, against yet another Bundesliga powerhouse.
Win or lose, Saarbrucken will look back on a glorious season, which also saw them promoted as fourth division champions - they were six points clear when authorities cancelled the season and awarded them promotion to the 3. Bundesliga.
If they pull off another impossible job, they’ll have one more to go, with either Bayern Munich or Eintracht Frankfurt awaiting in the final. The other semi takes place on Wednesday, June 10.
Forget the Crazy Gang versus the Culture Club, should Saarbrucken go all the way, this will have been a giant slaying on a far greater scale. You won't want to miss it.
How to watch Saarbrucken vs. Bayer Leverkusen & Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Tuesday, June 9
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
7.45pm: Saarbrucken vs. Bayer Leverkusen (BT Sport 1)
Wednesday, June 10
7.45pm: Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (BT Sport 1)
Use a VPN to watch a German Cup live stream from outside your country
If you’re out of the country, your domestic on-demand services won’t work – the broadcaster knows exactly where you are from your IP address. Your access to the game will be automatically blocked, which is annoying if you’ve paid a subscription fee and don't want to use an illegal, buffering stream that makes you miss another Jadon Sancho nutmeg. And that's where we recommend ExpressVPN (more on which below).
All you need to do is get a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to get beyond such aggravations (assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs). A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, meaning suppliers can’t work out where you are and what you’re doing. The info going to and from is entirely encrypted.
There are plenty of options out there, including:
ExpressVPN
Including a 30-day, money-back guarantee
FourFourTwo’s brainy office mates TechRadar love its super speedy connections, trustworthy security and the fact it works with Android, Apple, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PS4 and loads more. You also get a money-back guarantee, 24/7 support and it's currently available for a knockdown price. Go get it!
NordVPN
Including a 30-day, money-back guarantee
A cheaper option; its cheapest package current averages at a wallet-friendly £2.29 per month.
IPVanish
Including a 30-day, money-back guarantee
Slightly more expensive but supports up to 10 devices, and you can pay for it every three months if you need to.
How to watch a German football live stream for UK subscribers
BT Sport is the only place you'll be able to watch the Bundesliga in Britain this season.
Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.