Bayern Munich claimed a record-breaking ninth consecutive Bundesliga title thanks to Borussia Dortmund's 3-2 win over RB Leipzig.

Last season's treble winners missed out on Champions League glory this term, but they remain far ahead of their closest rivals in German football.

Bayern were set to have the chance to seal glory when hosting Borussia Monchengladbach later on Saturday but goals from Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho, who struck twice after half-time, gave Dortmund victory over second-placed Leipzig at Signal Iduna Park to complete the formalities.

Before this staggering run, no team had won more than three successive Bundesliga titles.

Bayern have now matched deposed Serie A kings Juventus for the longest streak of domestic championships won by teams from Europe's top five leagues.

The latest championship success for Bayern means they have won the Bundesliga 30 times since the league was founded in 1963, with Dortmund and Gladbach next on the list with five titles each.

Bayern have a 16th title since 2000, underlining their growing domestic dominance, and stalwarts Thomas Muller and David Alaba have both been champions with the club 10 times, setting a new record.

Alaba will leave Bayern at the end of the season, and Hansi Flick has also announced he will depart after barely 18 months at the helm, with the widespread assumption he will become the new Germany national team head coach.

Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann will step in to try to continue the dynasty he was, until very recently, looking to bring down.

Neymar's long-term commitment to Paris Saint-Germain has been in question at times. 

A return to Barcelona had been rumoured. 

Now the Brazil international is set to stay in the French capital.

TOP STORY – NEYMAR TO FINALISE PSG EXTENSION

Neymar is set to sign a new contract with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain this weekend, L'Equipe reports.

The four-year extension will be worth €30million (£26m) per season and run through 2026, nearly a decade after he arrived from Camp Nou for a record €220m fee. 

The signing would come days after a report that Barcelona approached PSG about Neymar, but the French club insisted he was not for sale. 

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- Chelsea are casting a wide net to bolster their attack, with Bild reporting Mohamed Salah is on Thomas Tuchel's shortlist along with Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku. 

- Zinedine Zidane may return to Juventus as head coach after Real Madrid's Champions League exit, Tuttosport reports, adding that the Real Madrid boss also is considering taking some time away from the sport. 

- Georginio Wijnaldum's Liverpool deal expires in June and the midfielder could be on the way to Bayern Munich, Sport1 reports. 

- Memphis Depay remains a top target for Barcelona, but the Spanish giants could turn to Donyell Malen of PSV if they cannot land the Lyon star. 

- Marca claims Eden Hazard is on the way out at Real Madrid, with Los Blancos ready to listen to offers for the forward. 

- Jan Oblak could be moving to the Premier League this summer, with ESPN saying Manchester United are among the potential destinations for the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper. 

- Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard will sign for Leicester City, Teamtalk reported. The 23-year-old also has drawn inquiries from West Ham and Liverpool. 

- Aston Villa will offer £15million for Burnley's Dwight McNeil, Football Insider reported. McNeil is under contract through 2024. 

Erling Haaland "would make any team in the world better", according to Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The lofty praise came as reports continue to link the Borussia Dortmund star with a move to Camp Nou.

Barca are just one of the leading European clubs to be credited with an interest in the prolific 20-year-old, with Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City also in the frame.

He is certainly a signing that would be welcomed by Ter Stegen, who nonetheless thinks the Norwegian would take some convincing to leave Dortmund.

But if anyone could prise him away, Ter Stegen believes they will have secured a talent who will serve them well for a decade.

"His style of play and goalscoring is impressive," the Germany international told Sport1.

"When you see videos in which he runs from the very back to the front in full sprint and hits the ball with all his might, that's amazing. It's pure will, you can't train that. Either you have this will or you don't. 

"Haaland would make any team in the world better. But that doesn't mean that he won't stay in Dortmund. 

"BVB is a very well run club at which an excellent job has been done in recent years. Why shouldn't he stay there for another year? That would be by no means a step backwards.

"If he leaves, his new team would have an amazing striker for the next 10 years."

Haaland's exploits have been mightily impressive this season, with 25 goals from 26 Bundesliga appearances coming at a rate of one every 89 minutes, and five assists to boot.

He replicated that form on the biggest stage, netting 10 times in eight Champions League outings, working out at a goal every 70 minutes and 30 seconds in a run to the quarter-finals.

That remarkable return saw him become the fastest player to reach 20 goals in the competition, with it taking just 14 games – 10 fewer than previous record holder Harry Kane.

Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe – the two parties have long been tipped to come together.

Mbappe is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 and no closer to renewing his deal.

Madrid are reportedly moving closer to prising the France international to the Spanish capital.

TOP STORY – MBAPPE POISED FOR MADRID MOVE?

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe is edging closer to joining LaLiga giants Real Madrid, according to Diario AS.

Mbappe has long been tipped to swap PSG for Madrid, though the Ligue 1 holds continue to try to re-sign the World Cup-winning forward.

PSG's Mbappe is determined to win the Champions League as he eyes the Santiago Bernabeu.

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- Le Parisien, though, claims PSG are holding out hope on teaming Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi with Mbappe and Neymar in Paris. Messi is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and he has been linked with PSG and Manchester City. Neymar has also been linked with a Barca return. However, Le Parisien reports PSG are prioritising a move for Messi while trying to retain Neymar and Mbappe.

- Lautaro Martinez is on the verge of signing a new contract with Serie A champions Inter, says Gazzetta dello Sport. The Inter forward has been linked with Barca previously.

- Tuttosport reports star Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is a primary transfer target for Serie A rivals Juventus. Donnarumma is out of contract at the end of the season and the Italy international has not agreed fresh terms with Milan.

- Borussia Dortmund will ask for less than €100million (£86m) to sell Jadon Sancho amid interest from United, Chelsea and Liverpool, says Fabrizio Romano.

- The Mirror says Liverpool are eyeing Roma star Lorenzo Pellegrini as incoming Giallorossi boss Jose Mourinho looks to overhaul the squad in the Italian capital. The front page of Thursday's Gazzetto dello Sport, meanwhile, claims Mourinho is looking to bring Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic and Madrid's Isco to Roma.

- Soon-to-be free agent and City star Sergio Aguero is dreaming of a Barcelona move, according to Romano. Inter, Tottenham and Chelsea have also emerged as options for the veteran forward.

- Maurizio Sarri is a candidate to take charge of Milan if Stefano Pioli fails to guide the Rossoneri into the Champions League, claims Gazzetta dello Sport. Sarri was reportedly set to join Roma before Mourinho's appointment.

- Rennes sensation Eduardo Camavinga, Sassuolo's Manuel Locatelli and Mikel Merino of Real Sociedad are on Barca's shortlist to replace Sergio Busquets, reports Mundo Deportivo.

Jens Lehmann has been sacked by Hertha Berlin after a racist message he sent to a television pundit was revealed on social media.

The ex-Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper replaced Jurgen Klinsmann on the Bundesliga club's supervisory board in May 2020.

But Lehmann has left his position with Hertha for comments made regarding fellow former Germany international Dennis Aogo, who works for Sky Sports.

Lehmann appeared to accidentally send a WhatsApp text to Aogo, who posted a screenshot of the image via Instagram and captioned it: "Wow, are you serious? This message was probably not meant for me."

Hertha parted company with Lehmann on Wednesday and president Werner Gegenbauer said: "Such statements are in no way representative of the values that Hertha stands for. 

"We distance ourselves from all forms of racism and welcome the action taken by TENNOR Holding."

Lehmann, who also represented Schalke, Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart during his playing career, has issued an apology to Aogo.

"In a private message from my mobile phone to Dennis Aogo, an impression was created for which I apologised in conversation with Dennis," he posted on Twitter. 

"As a former national player he is very knowledgeable and has a great presence and drives ratings to Sky."

Three years ago, Harry Kane said he wanted to win trophies at Tottenham otherwise he may have to leave.

Spurs have not won any silverware since, however, prompting speculation the England striker may have move on to fulfil his ambition elsewhere.

Kane is contracted to the Premier League club until 2024 but they are set to miss out on Champions League football again.

TOP STORY - RED DEVILS PLOT STUNNING KANE BID

The Sun reports that Manchester United are set to table a £90million bid for Kane after approval from the Glazers to appease their recent fan fury.

The move would be a stunning development, but Kane is understood to be interested in joining the Red Devils.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy does not want to sell Kane to a rival, although he may be backed into a corner financially in order to re-build the squad.

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- With West Brom doomed for relegation, goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is hot property with Manchester United joining the race for his signature, alongside Tottenham and West Ham, according to ESPN. The Telegraph claims West Brom have slapped a £20m price tag on him.

- Chelsea have entered the pursuit for Jadon Sancho, joining Manchester United and Liverpool after Borussia Dortmund lowered their asking price, says Bild.

- Real Madrid are monitoring the status of out-of-favour Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling, according to Football Insider.

- Everton head coach Carlo Ancelotti is keen to lure on-loan Tottenham forward Gareth Bale to the club as the Welshman's future at Real Madrid remains uncertain, claims El Chiringuito.

- Dutch winger Noa Lang is being tracked by Leeds United, reports The Telegraph.

Javi Martinez will leave Bayern Munich at the end of this season, the Bundesliga champions have confirmed.

Martinez joined Bayern from Athletic Bilbao in 2012 and straight away went about repaying what was then a club-record outlay of €40million, becoming a key member of their treble-winning squad under Jupp Heynckes.

Should Bayern complete the formalities of winning a ninth consecutive Bundesliga title – one that will in all probability be wrapped up this coming weekend – defensive midfielder Martinez will become the only player in Bundesliga history to have won as many as nine titles without failing to win the championship in any season.

Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, David Alaba and Jerome Boateng have also been part of all nine of those successive successes, but the latter two will join Martinez and head coach Hansi Flick in leaving Bayern at the end of the campaign as a period of transition under new boss Julian Nagelsmann awaits.

Despite frequently suffering injury setbacks during his time at the Allianz Arena, Martinez has made 266 appearances for Bayern, scoring 14 goals and supplying 11 assists.

"I'm very proud and happy to have been part of the FC Bayern family for nine years. I’d like to thank this great club and especially our fans – you have made Munich my home," the 32-year-old told Bayern's official website.

"I'll never forget these nine years. From the very first day, I felt the 'Mia san mia' and the special nature of FC Bayern.

"I lived for this club, always gave everything for it, and am very happy about the many titles we won together. FC Bayern and its fans will forever be in my heart."

Martinez added a second Champions League to his Bayern haul last season, when Kingsley Coman scored the only goal to down Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon.

He won a pair of Club World Cups and UEFA Super Cups on the back of those triumphs in Europe's top competition, scoring vital goals in each of the latter games – a last-gasp leveller against Chelsea in 2013 to force a penalty shoot-out and an extra-time winner versus Sevilla last year.

He also won five DFB-Pokals and four DFL-Supercups.

"Javi was a very important player for FC Bayern over nine years, a defining player not just on the pitch but also in the dressing room and all around the club," said sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.

"His track record is almost unparalleled, especially in the big games where he was one who made the difference, starting with the 2013 Champions League final.

"He was versatile, put himself at the service of the team and always gave his all. Javi has his permanent place in the FC Bayern family and will keep it.”

Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku appear to be the top forwards on English clubs' shopping lists this off-season.

But Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski may enter the frame amid rumours about his future.

Manchester City and Chelsea are known to be eager to bolster their attacking options and have the funds to finance a major move.

TOP STORY – ENGLAND ON LEWANDOWSKI'S RADAR

SportBild reports that Robert Lewandowski's likely next destination will be the English Premier League, if Bayern Munich opt to sell their Polish forward.

The report claims that Lewandowski's agent Pini Zahavi is trying to put pressure on Bayern for a lucrative contract extension or to sell him to one of England's financially powerful clubs.

Lewandowski still has two years to run on his Bayern contract and the Bavarians are believed to not be ready to negotiate.

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- Fabrizio Romano claims that Romelu Lukaku is not planning to leave Inter amid interest from Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona, pointing to comments he made following the club's Serie A title triumph on Sunday.

- Romano also claims that Watford, who have won promotion to the Premier League, have begun talks with Inter's Ashley Young who may be available as a free agent.

- Marca reports that PSG are increasingly concerned that Neymar will not sign a contract extension with the club amid talk of a Barcelona move.

- Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer is being tracked by Premier League club Newcastle United, claims the Daily Record.

- Tottenham are interested in Brazilian teenager Rodrigo Varanda who is currently with Corinthians, says The Sun.

Will Lionel Messi stay or leave?

The superstar Barcelona captain is set to become a free agent, though the LaLiga giants are determined to re-sign Messi.

Paris Saint-Germain are interested but Messi could reportedly extend his Camp Nou career.

TOP STORY – MESSI SET FOR BARCA STAY?

Lionel Messi is closer to staying at Barcelona than joining Paris Saint-Germain, according to L'Equipe.

Messi's future has dominated headlines, with his contract due to expire at season's end amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.

Barca are keen to re-sign Messi, who is encouraged by the Copa del Rey triumph and Joan Laporta's plans, despite an offer from PSG.

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- Barca have reached out to PSG regarding a possible reunion with Neymar, however, RAC1 says the Ligue 1 holders are not willing to sell the Brazilian superstar.

- Everton are plotting a bid for soon-to-be free agent and City star Sergio Aguero, reports the Daily Star. Aguero will leave the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer and the forward has been linked with Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter and Tottenham.

- Fabrizio Romano says Leicester City are working on a deal to sign Lille star Boubakary Soumare, who has previously been linked with Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter and Napoli.

- The Sun claims Borussia Dortmund have joined United and PSG in the battle sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Ben White.

- Sky Sport Italia claims Milan ultras met with star goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and demanded he sits out the fixture against Serie A rivals Juventus if he does not renew his contract. Donnarumma is set to become a free agent and he is yet to re-sign amid reports he is in talks with Juve. The Italy international has also been linked with United, Chelsea and PSG.

- United are prepared to sell Paul Pogba if he does not commit to a new contract, according to The Sun. Juve and Real Madrid are reportedly eyeing the French star. It comes as The Sun also claims United are not willing to part ways with Donny van de Beek following a difficult first season at Old Trafford.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc confirmed Jadon Sancho has a "gentlemen's agreement" over a possible transfer, but that is not the case for fellow star Erling Haaland.

Sancho was heavily linked with Premier League giants Manchester United at the start of the season, while English rivals Liverpool have now emerged as a possible suitor for the Dortmund attacker.

It comes as Europe's elite – including Real Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona, United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain – reportedly queue up to sign Haaland, who has a release clause that is not valid until next year.

Zorc discussed the futures of Dortmund duo Sancho and in-demand forward Haaland.

"We already had a gentlemen's agreement with Jadon last year that he can switch under certain conditions," Zorc told ARD.

"He's been with us for a couple of years. However, this agreement does not exist with Erling."

After United's reported pursuit of Sancho at the start of 2020-21, Zorc added: "In the end, the requirements were not met."

Sancho provided two assists as Dortmund routed second-tier outfit Holstein Kiel 5-0 in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals on Saturday.

Dortmund became the first team in history to score five goals in the first half of a DFB-Pokal semi-final fixture, while they are also the first side to reach eight consecutive finals.

Edin Terzic is hopeful Erling Haaland will not take long to recover from a thigh injury that forced him to miss Borussia Dortmund's emphatic DFB-Pokal win over Holstein Kiel.

Striker Haaland watched on from the stands as Dortmund clinched a place in the final, triumphing 5-0 against second-tier opponents as all their goals arrived in the first half of the contest.

Giovanni Reyna was on target twice while Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard and Jude Bellingham also scored for BVB, who will now face RB Leipzig in Berlin on May 13.

However, before having the chance to secure silverware, the focus reverts to securing a top-four finish in the Bundesliga - and Terzic is confident leading scorer Haaland will be involved in the run-in.

Dortmund have a final rehearsal against Leipzig to come next, the first of three crucial league games as they aim to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"Erling being out had its origins in Wolfsburg last weekend, where he had a great performance," Terzic told the media. 

"Two or three minutes before the end he conceded a hit on his thigh. He stayed in pain. In the first few days, he tried to return to training but had some little problems.

"Yesterday, he told us that he couldn't play, that it would be too painful, so we decided to take him out for today's game. But we are confident that it won't take long to recover.

"Maybe he can join the team's training midweek and fully recover for the next Bundesliga tasks and the cup final."

While Haaland could be back soon, team-mate Mateu Morey seems set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering what looked to be a serious leg injury late in proceedings.

Morey had only come on as a substitute just after the hour mark, yet had to be carried off on a stretcher in the 74th minute.

Terzic admitted the full-back's situation had tarnished the result, particularly as Dortmund were coasting towards the final whistle at the time it happened.

"We totally wanted to go to the cup final and up until the 75th minute, it seemed like a perfect night for us," he said. 

"But the injury to Mateu tarnished everything for us. Especially when you know what a good boy he is.

"When he lies on the floor in pain, it is hard to think about the win or the game."

Real Madrid would find the money to buy Erling Haaland at the end of the season if he can be prised away from Borussia Dortmund, according to the player's agent.

Mino Raiola, who represents the Norwegian striker, believes the opportunity to land a rare talent such as Haaland would be too good for Madrid, or Barcelona, to refuse.

Both Spanish giants signed up to the European Super League, a competition that could have helped ease their financial worries.

The apparent collapse of that league led Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to state his club – or any other for that matter – would be unable to afford any spectacular summer signings.

Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe has also been linked with a move to Madrid.

Raiola thinks Los Blancos would not back away if Haaland became available.

"I don't know if they can afford him, because I haven't studied their books. But I think they can. I think they all can," Raiola told Spanish newspaper AS. "The question is different: Can Madrid afford not to buy Haaland? And Barca?"

He added: "This change Madrid will carry out needs to last 10 years, and that's why Haaland is important, because he's really young, but you would be buying a youngster with elite experience.

"The same with Mbappe. But you only get one chance to buy them. Right now you have the chance to buy them for the next 10 years. The same happened with Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Lionel] Messi. Then, once they are in a big team, they don't let them go."

Dortmund have said they do not want to sell their star striker, who turns 21 in July, during the European summer transfer window, and Raiola said of that stance: "Now let's see if that desire is still there through to the 1st of September."

He added: "Today, the official stance of Dortmund is this. But I've got another view, I think that if a good opportunity comes up and everyone would be happy, we'll put it on the table."

Raiola spoke of working towards being able to "create a menu" of options for Haaland, but stressed that was not yet a possibility, and said there would be a risk element whether the player stayed or left Dortmund.

Dortmund have been well off the pace in the Bundesliga this season, currently sitting in fifth place and 16 points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich.

Raiola made it clear that Haaland wants to be a serial trophy winner as well as a prolific scorer. The latter aspect was described by Raiola as the striker's "obsession".

"No doubt he'll pick somewhere where he feels those two things go together best for him," Raiola said.

"It's really hard to lie. When a club like Barcelona or Real Madrid comes in for you, with so much history and being such a big club, it's hard to say no."

Raiola also teased the possibility of Haaland and Mbappe one day featuring alongside one another, saying: "In the big clubs, you can have great players together: Neymar and Messi have been together, Ronaldinho was with great players, Haaland could be alongside Mbappe or not. Great players always play together."

For now, it appears a distant prospect, as Madrid and Barcelona, both hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, weigh up the pros and cons of just one major transfer market splash.

Erling Haaland is hot property right now with a long list of suitors keen on the Norwegian forward.

Financially powerful clubs Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea are among those jostling for the Borussia Dortmund man but Barcelona are in contention too.

Haaland and his agent Mino Raiola visited Barcelona along with Madrid in April as talks commenced.

TOP STORY - MESSI PAY CUT TO FUND HAALAND DEAL

Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is willing to take a pay cut in order to help Barcelona land Erling Haaland according to Eurosport.

Messi wants to renew with Barca under the assumption the club is ambitious and contending for top honours.

Contract talks have commenced between Messi and the Catalans, with reports that they will offer Messi a new 10-year contract.

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- Marca reports that Real Madrid are looking to extend Lucas Vazquez's contract with a new and improved offer.

- Raheem Sterling could be offloaded by Manchester City this off-season, in order to fund moves for Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish, claims Football Insider.

- Chelsea are in the race for Juventus' French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, along with Barcelona, reports Calciomercato.

- Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Napoli have made a €10 million offer to Club Brugge for 20-year-old Belgium international Charles De Ketelaere.

- Gazzetta dello Sport also reports that Juventus wants to lure Massimiliano Allegri back to the club to replace head coach Andrea Pirlo.

Julian Nagelsmann says he wants to "say goodbye with the title" after RB Leipzig secured a spot in the German DFB-Pokal final following a 2-1 extra-time win over Werder Bremen in Friday's semi-final.

Nagelsmann confirmed during the week that he would be joining Bayern Munich next season, ending his two-year tenure at Leipzig.

Leipzig were Champions League semi-finalists last season and finished Nagelsmann's debut season in third in the Bundesliga but he has not won any silverware for the club.

The Red Bulls appear destined to finish runners-up in this season's Bundesliga campaign but Nagelsmann is eyeing off a winning farewell in the DFB-Pokal.

"I would like to say goodbye with the title," Nagelsmann said. "We hope that we play a good cup final.

"When you see how the guys work so hard after such a turbulent week, of course it's great."

Emil Forsberg struck a late winner at the end of extra time after a scoreless 90 minutes to send Leipzig into the final against either Borussia Dortmund or Holstein Kiel.

Hwang Hee-chan had opened the scoring for Leipzig before Leonardo Bittencourt swooped on an error to equalise.

"At the end of the day, the close matches are the best wins," Nagelsmann said.

"It was very emotional and that releases more energy. The boys fought and gave everything.

"The turbulent week had no effect, everyone on the pitch saw that today. The boys had their hearts in the right place and deservedly won."

Julian Nagelsmann has given his approval to RB Leipzig's choice of Jesse Marsch as his successor and future Bundesliga rival.

American coach Marsch will arrive from Salzburg, close affiliates of the German side, at the end of the season to take over from Bayern Munich-bound Nagelsmann.

The 47-year-old has spent two years as Salzburg boss and previously worked as an assistant coach with Leipzig so knows the club well.

Marsch was also head coach of New York Red Bulls from 2015 to 2018, and Nagelsmann sees him as an easy fit at Leipzig.

"I'm very happy that RB Leipzig have been able to quickly find a successor in Jesse Marsch," Nagelsmann said. "It was important to me that the club find a good coach and that they wouldn't have to deal with too much uncertainty following the news of my departure.

"Jesse Marsch is a very emotional coach and has a good connection to his players. I will definitely look to speak with him at the end of the season. I wish him all the best here and that he continues the club's success."

Nagelsmann will perhaps be mindful of being too helpful as the coaches cross and he leaves for Bayern as Marsch arrives at Leipzig, given they have been Germany's top two sides this season.

Bayern look like scooping the Bundesliga title for a ninth consecutive year. With 71 points from 31 games, they head Leipzig by seven points with three rounds of games remaining.

However, Leipzig are very much in the hunt for cup glory as they head into Friday's DFB-Pokal semi-final against Werder Bremen.

The winner of that tie will face either Borussia Dortmund or Holstein Kiel, the second-tier team that knocked out Bayern in the early stages of the tournament.

"Of course, it would be nice to end my time here by winning the DFB-Pokal," Nagelsmann said on Thursday.

"The pressure is there, but that's normal. If you've reached the semi-finals with your team, then it's obvious that you want to advance to the final and win there."

Quoted on Leipzig's official website, Nagelsmann said: "There's nothing worse than losing a final. If we have the chance to win the trophy, then we'll do everything possible to make that happen.

"We don't need any extra motivation for Friday night. The cup is motivation enough. The team will give it everything they have to meet the expectations. They are highly motivated.

"I still have a good relationship with the team and spoke to the lads. All the outside noise won't affect them. All of my players want to continue improving.

"Our goal is to make it to [the final in] Berlin. We also want to break the 67-point mark in the Bundesliga, in order to set a new [club] record this season."