Kovac set for final look at future club
BERLIN — A brilliant backheel from Luka Jovic inspired Eintracht Frankfurt to a 1-0 victory over Schalke in the semifinals of the German Cup on Wednesday, meaning that Bayern Munich will meet its future coach Niko Kovac in next month’s final.
Jovic’s goal proved enough to fire 10-man Frankfurt into a second straight German Cup final and set up a fateful meeting between Kovac and Bayern on May 19.
The final in Berlin’s Olympiastadion will be Kovac’s last game as Frankfurt coach, before he takes over the reins at Bayern this summer.
“It was an intense game, but the team was fantastic,” Kovac told Sky Sports.
“I think at the end of the day, my team wanted it a bit more.”
In a historic sidebar, Frankfurt midfielder Gelson Fernandes was banished after just 33 seconds on the pitch.
With his side leading 1-0, and just 12 minutes from a place in the final, Fernandes was brought on as a substitute to steady the ship, but was shown a red card for a crunching challenge on Leon Goretzka.
Fernandes was initially just yellow-carded, but the referee then changed his decision to a red card after consultation with the video assistant referee (VAR).
At 33 seconds, Fernandes’ red card is believed to be the fastest ever issued in the Bundesliga.
That dubious record was previously held by Marcel Titsch-Rivero, also of Eintracht Frankfurt, who was sent off after just 43 seconds against Borussia Dortmund in 2011.
Frankfurt’s Kevin-Prince Boateng was substituted off with a thigh injury before halftime, while tempers briefly flared in a dispute between Ralf Faehrmann and Marco Fabian.
They were separated before any other players got involved.
“I can’t even feel the pain anymore,” said Boateng, who will face his half-brother Jerome against Bayern.
“We’re going to Berlin, nothing else matters. I am so proud of the team and how we played today,” he said.
The second half proved equally cagey, with both sides reluctant to commit men forward.
In the other semifinal, Bayern beat Bayer Leverkusen 6-2 on Tuesday.