Bayer Leverkusen have completed the domestic season unbeaten with a sensational double in Berlin by securing the DFB Pokal with a 1-0 victory over Kaiserslautern.
The win ensured they became just the sixth team in history to complete a German domestic double alongside perennial winners, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen, FC Koln and Schalke 04.
Following their Europa League disappointment, Leverkusen made significant changes with Lukas Hradecky, Robert Andrich, Odilon Kossounou, and Patrik Schick all returning to the lineup. However, Kaiserslautern’s top scorer Ragnar Ache was only fit enough to start on the bench.
An early yellow card for the reintroduced Kossounou gave the 2. Bundesliga side plenty of encouragement early on, and Hradecky was forced into a significant save in the fourth minute from a Daniel Hanslik shot.
However, Kaiserslautern’s promising start was undone in the 17th minute when the ball fell to Xhaka 25 yards from goal, and the former Arsenal player unleashed one of his trademark left-footed strikes into the top corner.
Despite being down to 10 men, Alonso’s team maintained their defensive shape for the remaining time and effectively kept Kaiserslautern from threatening, securing their first DFB-Pokal trophy since 1993.
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