Thomas Tuchel feels Chelsea are a vastly different club now to the one where he loved to work, after he was asked if he could recommend the job to Julian Nagelsmann.

Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on Sunday, with the Blues 11th in the Premier League following a 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.

Potter replaced Tuchel in September, with the latter having been dismissed by co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali less than 18 months on from leading Chelsea to Champions League glory.

Whether Tuchel would be on speaking terms with Nagelsmann after replacing his compatriot at Bayern in March was not an issue that was raised when the former Paris Saint-Germain coach was asked by reporters if he would tell his predecessor, who is one of the favourites to succeed Potter, to take the Chelsea job.

"He's not going to ask me! He doesn't need my advice, that won't happen," Tuchel said in a press conference ahead of Bayern's DFB-Pokal meeting with Freiburg.

"I saw the news, in the end it was pretty tough timing, as it was right after I took over here and now the next coaching position is vacant at Chelsea.

"I needed quite a bit of time to distance myself from Chelsea, because I really liked to work there and there were friendships for life that I managed to build.

"It was a very intense time but the club changed massively. That helped me to find some distance. That's why this didn't bring out huge emotions in me.

"That's why I don't have to give any advice, because the club is different to the one I worked for."

Tuchel's first game in charge of Bayern could hardly have gone better, with the Bundesliga champions beating his former side Borussia Dortmund 4-2 to move top of the table.

Thomas Muller scored twice after Gregor Kobel's calamitous own goal had put Bayern ahead, with Kingsley Coman making it 4-0 before Emre Can and Donyell Malen grabbing consolations for Dortmund.

Sadio Mane came on as a second-half substitute as he continues his recovery from injury, though he only managed 12 touches and did not get a shot off.

Tuchel, though, is convinced Mane will return to his best form.

"I know him personally from England," Tuchel said of Mane. "He's one of the top players, he's scored in double digits, felt like 20 goals every year for Liverpool in the toughest league in the world.

"He plays at an extraordinary level, won all the trophies and titles for Liverpool. His importance is clear.

"Even with his age and experience, a change of clubs is still a change, it can lead to needing a bit of time to bed in a bit, to feel at home 1,000 per cent.

"Small things, like getting to the stadium, that were so easy in the past, have to be found out, and this takes time. Then it's done and dusted but then an injury occurs, and he could lose a bit of trust and form.

"I don't doubt his qualities, the things he can bring to us. It's about trust, a bit of patience in order to get back to the flow. A goal helps, no matter how, to get his joy back. We're working on it.

"With the strikers, those situations will occur all the time when they lose a bit of rhythm due to an injury."

Julian Nagelsmann had no doubts Joao Cancelo would settle in on his Bayern Munich debut at Mainz after playing under "one of the best managers in the world" in Pep Guardiola.

Bayern have been held to three consecutive 1-1 draws in the Bundesliga, but they ended their winless run with an emphatic 4-0 crushing of Mainz on Wednesday to reach the DFB-Pokal quarter-final.

Manchester City loanee Cancelo started the game, just a day after joining the German champions, and assisted Eric Choupo-Moting's 17th-minute opener with a pinpoint right-wing cross.

Nagelsmann was unsurprised to see wing-back Cancelo flourish on his first start after working under former Bayern head coach Guardiola.

"Joao played a very good game. He was very creative, played some great passes and crosses and also made very good deep runs," he told reporters.

"He was playing under one of the best managers in the world. I just told him to play his game and not to think too much."

Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane added first-half goals soon after Choupo-Moting's header, before substitute Alphonso Davies secured victory in the latter stages.

Victory marked a significant improvement to Bayern's post-World Cup form, as Nagelsmann hailed an "important" first win in 2023.

He added: "I'm very satisfied with the result and the way we played. Games against Mainz and Bo Svensson's teams are extremely difficult.

"We were more aggressive with the ball going forward than in recent games. We defended well and kept a clean sheet which was important.

"It was a deserved and important win, not only in this competition but also after we failed to win our games since the start of the year. We want more of the same against Wolfsburg on Sunday."

Bayern Munich returned to winnings ways after reaching the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals as Eric Choupo-Moting scored one and assisted another in a 4-0 victory at Mainz.

Julian Nagelsmann's side are just a point clear at the Bundesliga summit after three successive 1-1 draws, but they ended their winless run with a dominant showing at MEWA Arena on Wednesday.

Manchester City loanee Joao Cancelo assisted Choupo-Moting's opener just 17 minutes into his debut, before the striker teed up Leroy Sane on the stroke of half-time after Jamal Musiala's 30th-minute strike.

Substitute Alphonso Davies sealed the victory in the second half prior to Alexander Hack being dismissed late on, as Bayern picked up a first win of 2023 to remain on course for a first DFB-Pokal triumph since 2020.

Mainz did not heed the early warning signs against a dominant Bayern and were punished as Choupo-Moting expertly volleyed Cancelo's right-wing centre past Finn Dahmen at the far post.

Musiala doubled the visitors' advantage with a pinpoint left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner after Thomas Muller's delicate pass.

Joshua Kimmich then curled a free-kick from a tight angle against the left post, before Sane calmly finished from Choupo-Moting's throughball as a rampant Bayern ran riot in the first half.

Hack cleared Muller's deflected attempt off the line after the interval, while Anthony Caci whipped a rare Mainz chance narrowly wide at the other end.

Davies nodded Kimmich's right-wing cross past Dahmen for Bayern's fourth, before Hack was shown a second yellow card for a needless foul on Musiala as Bayern eased to victory.

Jurgen Klopp reaches 1,000 games as a head coach and manager on Saturday when Liverpool tackle Chelsea, and it has been quite a ride.

From a relegation battle with Mainz in the German second division to the heights of Champions League glory with Liverpool, Klopp has achieved more than anyone expected of a man whose playing career was distinctly modest.

It would be stretching it to say the signs were there from day one, but they were certainly there from day two.

Klopp was named as an interim replacement for Eckhard Krautzun when Mainz decided on a change of leader on February 27, 2001.

One day later, Klopp made his debut as a coach in the second tier of the Bundesliga. He had been a player in the team until that point, but this marked the beginning of a new chapter.

Club president Harald Strutz, quoted in the Rheinische Post at the time, voiced the suggestion the interim boss could stake a claim for the full-time job.

"Maybe that will be a permanent solution," Strutz said, presciently.

Midfielder Christof Babatz, who would be a significant figure in Mainz's rise to the Bundesliga under Klopp, then said after the first game resulted in a 1-0 win over Duisburg: "The coach teased that certain something out of us."

And so began the story of Klopp's touchline career, one centred on teasing out the very best from the talent at his disposal, nurturing prospects into polished performers, and tallying trophies along the way. From Mainz, to Borussia Dortmund, and eventually to Liverpool, Klopp has delivered on that initial leap of faith.

There have been league titles, cup triumphs and big European final nights with Liverpool and Dortmund, plus promotion and even a relegation during his formative Mainz days.

Here, Stats Perform looks at those first 999 games, as Opta data shows some essential numbers behind one of the 21st century's great coaching careers.

Pep, Howe, Hecking and Magath – Klopp's rivalries

Klopp has faced Pep Guardiola more than any other rival manager, going head-to-head with the Catalan 27 times across their careers.

There have been notable defeats along the way, including the 2014 DFB-Pokal final, when Klopp's Dortmund went down 2-0 to Guardiola's Bayern, and the 5-0 and 4-0 thrashings meted out by Manchester City to Liverpool in September 2017 and July 2020, both of which rank among the top nine heaviest defeats Klopp has had to stomach.

However, Klopp has the overall upper hand across their meetings, winning 11, drawing seven and losing nine of those games.

He has faced only one other boss more than 20 times: German Dieter Hecking, against whom Klopp pitted his wits 21 times, winning 11, drawing five and losing five. Hecking bossed Lubeck, Alemannia Aachen, Hannover, Nurnberg and Wolfsburg during Klopp's time in the German leagues.

Klopp certainly has a happy record against Newcastle United's former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, achieving 11 wins from their 13 meetings.

This shows the most wins Klopp has had against any boss is 11, against Guardiola, Hecking and Howe, while it can be revealed the team he has beaten the most are Freiburg (13 times), followed by Crystal Palace, Nurnberg and Arsenal (all 12).

His real nemesis appears to have been Felix Magath, the former Stuttgart, Bayern, Wolfsburg and Schalke coach. In 14 games against Magath teams, Klopp won only three times, losing eight.

Bayern have had the most wins against Klopp, with 16. No other team have reached double figures, with Hamburg, Schalke and Wolfsburg (all nine) next on the list.

The milestones, the biggest and the best... and the games he'd rather forget

Klopp won that first match of his career against Duisburg, and to date he has never lost on each 100th game on his way towards 1,000 as a boss.

There have been wins against the way against Bochum (200th game), Werder Bremen (300th), his old club Mainz (400th), Freiburg (500th) and Southampton (600th), and draws on his 700th, 800th and 900th games, against Newcastle, Chelsea and Real Madrid, respectively. Klopp's 100th game was also a draw, against Unterhaching with Mainz.

His biggest win was the 9-0 trouncing that Liverpool dished out to Bournemouth in August of this season, and his Liverpool team have also hit seven in a game five times (Maribor, Spartak Moscow, Crystal Palace, Lincoln City and Rangers), while his biggest win as a boss in Germany was Dortmund's 6-0 crushing of Arminia Bielefeld in May 2009.

Klopp has suffered four defeats by five-goal margins, the worst he has had to endure, with Aston Villa inflicting two of those: 7-2 in October 2020 and 5-0 in December 2019 – albeit the latter with Klopp and his frontline Liverpool stars out of the country on Club World Cup duty. There was also a 6-1 torching for Mainz at the hands of Werder Bremen in October 2006, and Liverpool's 5-0 whipping by Guardiola's City.

When it comes to promoting young talent, Klopp has rarely hesitated. His youngest player was Harvey Elliott, now a first-team squad regular at Liverpool, who faced MK Dons in the EFL Cup at the age of 16 years and 174 days in September 2019.

Klopp has fielded five 16-year-olds for Liverpool, plus seven 17-year-olds, while he also gave chances to the 17-year-old Mario Gotze at Dortmund, and Mario Vrancic, also 17, during his time at Mainz. Gotze went on to become a World Cup final match-winner.

His oldest player was Peter Neustadter, a Kazakh defender who was older than Klopp himself, aged 37 years and 176 days, when he turned out for Mainz against Alemannia Aachen in the Bundesliga's second tier in August 2003.

Warhorse midfielder James Milner could yet break that record as the oldest Liverpool player to have appeared for Klopp, aged 37 years and 13 days when he played in the recent FA Cup replay win against Wolves this week.

James Woodburn remains the youngest scorer for Klopp after hitting the net against Leeds in an EFL Cup clash in November 2016 at the age of 17 years and 45 days, while Sebastian Kehl ranks as his oldest scorer – 35 years and 53 days old when he bagged for Dortmund against Hoffenheim in a DFB-Pokal quarter-final in April 2015.

Klopp's kingpins

Roberto Firmino has played more games for Klopp than anyone, racking up 341 outings for Liverpool under the manager, with Milner (301) next on the list.

When it comes to starters, though, we get a different picture, with former Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller top of the list with 280 games, followed by another BVB stalwart, Neven Subotic (278), and then Firmino (277 starts). Milner is a long way down that list, with 112 of the veteran's appearances for Klopp having come as a substitute.

Mohamed Salah has made 282 appearances and 261 starts for Klopp, and when it comes to scorers for the Reds manager, the brilliant Egyptian is the untouchable number one.

His 173 goals put him streets ahead of Klopp's next highest scorer, Sadio Mane (120), with Firmino (107) and former Dortmund supreme finisher Robert Lewandowski (103) being the only other players to reach three figures.

Among players with 10 or more goals for Klopp teams, Salah has also scored at the fastest rate, netting once every 133 minutes, with Lewandowski in a tie for second place with Darwin Nunez, both scoring at one per 139 minutes. Nunez scrapes onto the list, having scored 10 times so far.

Lewandowski hit four hat-tricks for Klopp's Dortmund, while Salah has managed five for Liverpool under the German.

Both men once hit four in a game for Klopp, with Lewandowski doing so in a Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, and Salah in a Premier League match against Watford.

The manager teased plenty out of those two down the years, and Klopp will doubtless look to Salah, a former Chelsea player, to ensure his 1,000th game brings cause for celebration.

Bayern Munich have been drawn against Mainz in the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal, while Borussia Dortmund face a derby showdown with Bochum.

Record 20-time winners Bayern saw off Viktoria Koln and Augsburg to reach the third round for the first time in three seasons.

Julian Nagelsmann's side now face a tricky trip to Mainz, who are sixth in the Bundesliga and have defeated Bayern in their past two meetings on home soil.

Dortmund have also been drawn against top-flight opposition, with a trip to local rivals Bochum awaiting them when the ties are played at the end of January.

Defending champions RB Leipzig will host Hoffenheim, meanwhile, and surprise Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin are at home to Wolfsburg.

Elsewhere, Sandhausen have been drawn against Freiburg, Stuttgart face a trip to Paderborn, Eintracht Frankfurt host Darmstadt and Nurnberg will meet Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann felt his side "should have scored more" despite their rampant 5-2 away victory over Augsburg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal.

Bayern were behind within nine minutes after Mads Pedersen fired the hosts in front, but a double from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and a smart Joshua Kimmich finish put the Bundesliga champions 3-1 ahead.

Dayot Upamecano's unfortunate own goal gave Augsburg hopes of a comeback, but Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies both struck late to ensure Bayern's progression into the third round of a competition they have won 20 times, 14 more than any other side.

Despite scoring five against Augsburg, Nagelsmann wanted his side to be even more ruthless, telling ZDF: "It's a classic cup game.

"The team created enough chances to make the game clearer earlier on, but unfortunately we missed. 

"There were many situations in which we should have scored more goals."

Nagelsmann was thankful for his side's improvement after finding themselves a goal down early on, particularly their dominant period after half-time which saw Kimmich and Choupo-Moting make it 3-1 with 53rd and 59th-minute goals.

"We didn't have a good start, we were very sluggish and didn't accept many duels," Nagelsmann said.

"The 20 minutes after half-time were very, very good. Physically we were on the same level."

When asked why Bayern struggled at the start of the match, Nagelsmann replied: "It's not that easy to play against a team that plays every ball straight ahead.

"It's always a balancing act. Do you play football, or do you play the ball in the opposing half?

"We didn't always make the right decision."

An Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting double and goals from Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies helped Bayern Munich to a 5-2 comeback victory over Augsburg to seal their place in the DFB-Pokal third round.

Mads Pedersen put Augsburg in front, but Choupo-Moting scored either side of Kimmich's beautiful finish to put the Bundesliga champions 3-1 up.

An own goal from Dayot Upamecano caused some fears of a Bayern collapse, but Musiala and Davies struck late to make sure of the victory.

Bayern's return to form continues as they reach the next round of a competition they have won on 20 occasions, 14 more than any other team.

The hosts started brightly and took the lead after nine minutes, Pedersen rifling superbly into the bottom right corner from 25 yards out.

Davies missed a great chance to equalise when he fired straight at Tomas Koubek, before the Augsburg goalkeeper also denied efforts from Musiala and Serge Gnabry.

However, Koubek did not cover himself in glory for Bayern's leveller, as Choupo Moting's drive from a tight angle sneaked in at the near post to make it 1-1.

Koubek somewhat redeemed himself shortly after, making a brilliant save to paw away Sadio Mane's goal-bound shot as the visitors put increasing pressure on the Augsburg defence.

Gnabry hit the bar with a deflected effort just after half-time, before Kimmich's curler from the edge of the box flew in to give Bayern the lead.

Choupo-Moting then took advantage of a defensive mix-up to smash home Bayern's third, seemingly putting the match to bed.

And despite Augsburg pulling a goal back when Upamecano diverted into his own net, Davies produced some sublime skill to tee up Musiala to bend home before the Canadian turned goalscorer as Bayern made sure of their progress.

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann believes either Jamal Musiala or Jude Bellingham should have beaten Gavi to the Kopa Trophy at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony.

The award – given to the best under-21 player in the world – went to a Barcelona midfielder for the second year in a row, as Gavi replicated Pedri's 2021 success. 

Bundesliga duo Musiala and Bellingham were both in contention for the prize, finishing third and fourth in the voting respectively, with Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga coming second.

Asked about Musiala's failure to land the award ahead of Bayern's trip to Augsburg in the DFB-Pokal, Nagelsmann said: "You wear club glasses. 

"In my eyes, both Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham have had better seasons than the winner. Gavi is an outstanding player, and I'm happy for him too."

No Bayern player has bettered Musiala's return of five league goals this season (level with Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane).

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham last week followed Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland as just the third teenager to score in four consecutive Champions League appearances.

Attention for Bayern now turns to the DFB-Pokal, which they last won in 2020.

Their bid to go beyond the second round this season could be hamstrung by the absence of Manuel Neuer, but Nagelsmann is not prepared to take any risks with his shoulder injury.

"It's not a conscious pause. Anything in the shoulder area is unfavourable for a goalkeeper," the coach explained. "If you have a sharp pain, you can't react. 

"He has pain when moving and is therefore restricted. As a goalkeeper, it's impossible to get 100 per cent performance then, so it doesn't make sense [to play Neuer]. It would be easier with an outfield player.

"We do everything in the necessary care for the players. We try everything to prevent this and consult all possible values. The rhythm is what it is. It's annoying when players are out and injured."

Nagelsmann also offered an update on the condition of Lucas Hernandez, who he hopes will recover from a muscle tear before the World Cup begins next month.

"It's looking better. We're making a bit more of him," Nagelsmann said of the defender. "We have to be patient. I can't say how long it will take. 

"It hasn't been looking too good lately. He's making progress, but it's a tough injury. I hope he can play at the World Cup."

Bayern Munich new boy Matthijs de Ligt is quickly adapting to life in Germany, as he hailed the mentality of the Bundesliga giants.

De Ligt, signed from Juventus in a €67million transfer prior to the season, started on Wednesday as Bayern went on to thrash lower-league Viktoria Koln 5-0.

Maiden Bayern goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Mathys Tel gave Julian Nagelsmann's team a 2-0 lead, before second-half strikes from Sadio Mane, Jamal Musiala and Leon Goretzka finished the rout.

And De Ligt believes a defining characteristic he has noticed since arriving in Munich is Bayern's ability to maintain focus in matches they could comfortably cruise through.

"Every game is difficult, even if you play against Viktoria Koln today with a lot of fans here," he said.

"It's always difficult, you have to be concentrated every minute, because you know if you're not concentrated you can get a goal against.

"You feel immediately when you come here – it was the same with Ajax and Juventus – you feel that they want to win, and they want to win big.

"They want to be concentrated at every second, and that for me is really important, and can make me a better player."

When asked why he believes Bayern's new recruits have hit the ground running, De Ligt said: "Yeah, because I think we have a lot of good players, and it's really clear for everybody, also the new guys, how to play. 

"You see the new guys today – Mathys scored a goal, I think Ryan made a goal, and Sadio has already scored a lot of goals.

"I think we're all adapting well, and obviously the help of the team-mates is really important."

Ryan Gravenberch and Mathys Tel scored their first Bayern Munich goals as Julian Nagelsmann's side cruised past Viktoria Koln 5-0 in their DFB-Pokal first-round tie.

Signed from Ajax in June, Gravenberch opened his Bayern account 10 minutes before half-time, while 17-year-old Tel – an arrival from Rennes – added a superb second.

Sadio Mane made it 3-0 shortly after the restart with a simple tap-in, before substitute Jamal Musiala added a fourth. 

Leon Goretzka then marked his first appearance of the season with a goal eight minutes from full-time as Bayern swept aside their third-tier opponents with little fuss. 

Viktoria goalkeeper Ben Voll made a string of impressive saves in the opening half-an-hour but he was powerless to prevent Bayern from going ahead in the 35th minute.

The ball fell kindly to Gravenberch just inside the penalty area and he coolly slotted into Voll's bottom-right corner.

Bayern cemented their dominance on the stroke of half-time – Tel cutting in from the left and unleashing a fizzing strike into the far corner.

Mane extended Bayern's advantage in the 53rd minute with a close-range finish after he had been picked out by Serge Gnabry, before Voll made smart stops to deny the former Liverpool man and Musiala. 

The latter was not to be frustrated again in the 67th minute, though, as he slid home after an incisive move involving Thomas Muller. 

Goretzka, on as a substitute, then wrapped up the scoring late on with a crisp finish into the bottom-left corner after a surging run from midfield. 

Julian Nagelsmann is glad Hasan Salihamidzic has extended his stay as Bayern Munich sporting director – as long as the man who helped bring him to the club does not sack him.

Bayern announced on Monday that Salihamidzic, who has worked in a boardroom position at the Allianz Arena since August 2017, will remain part of the executive member board for at least three more years.

During Salihamidzic's time in charge of the sporting department, Bayern have won five Bundesliga titles, the Champions League, Club World Cup, European Super Cup and the DFB-Pokal twice.

Nagelsmann was at the helm for the most recent of Bayern's league title triumphs and has welcomed the continuity behind the scenes.

"I am very happy about it," Nagelsmann said at a pre-match news conference on Tuesday. "I like working with him but also from the club's perspective, he did great work in difficult transfer periods. 

"It's not always been easy. I've tried to explain many times that as a sporting director, you can't decide things by yourself. The supervisory board has to agree with things like they did with his renewal and transfers. 

"You can't walk through the market and collect all the players that you want. There is a supervisory board that needs to decide how and whether things are done. So your hands are kind of tied. 

"Hasan has a good connection to everyone in the club and also to everyone in the supervisory board. That helps in many situations. It's never him by himself or the manager alone but a cooperation of many people from the club. 

"Privately, I also have a good connection to him. We have moments where things aren't all about football but where we talk about other things – that is also good for the working climate.

"So I'm happy I don't have to adjust to anyone new. He was one of the motors behind me joining the club. I am very happy that the supervisory board made that decision, as long as he doesn't kick me out!"

Bayern started their latest Bundesliga title defence strongly with three successive victories, scoring 15 goals in the process, prior to being held 1-1 at home to Borussia Monchengladbach at the weekend.

Nagelsmann's side now turn their focus to the DFB-Pokal, where a trip to third-tier side Viktoria Koln awaits on Wednesday.

Bayern have failed to get beyond round two of the competition in the past two seasons and Nagelsmann does not intend to take the hosts lightly, even if changes to the side are planned.

"We have everyone fit," Nagelsmann told reporters. "Jamal [Musiala] is not quite 100 per cent yet and probably won't start, but he'll be in the squad. We're going to take everyone with us and make a decision on the day.

"We'll have to see on Leon Goretzka and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. I'd like to give them a bit of rhythm but they certainly won't be starting. In all it could be five changes to the side to help give others a chance.

"It is an important game for us, a knockout game. The opposition have an experienced coach and experienced players. It will not be an easy game at what is a great setting, in a stadium with lots of spectators."

Nagelsmann suggested Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich are among the experienced players likely to start against Viktoria, who are eighth in the 3.Liga after winning three, drawing one and losing two of their first six matches.

One player who definitely will not be involved at RheinEnergieStadion is Joshua Zirkzee, whose move to Serie A side Bologna was confirmed on Tuesday.

Bayern have a buy-back clause for Netherlands Under-21 international Zirkzee, who made 17 appearances for their first team.

Ten-man RB Leipzig won the DFB-Pokal for the first time in their history after a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win over Freiburg at the end of a 1-1 draw in Berlin on Saturday.

Freiburg, who were competing in their first-ever major final, went ahead in the 19th minute thanks to Maximilian Eggestein's fine strike, despite a clear handball from Roland Sallai in the build-up.

Leipzig were reduced to 10 men shortly before the hour mark when Marcel Halstenberg received a straight red card for pulling down a clean-through Lucas Holer, yet they levelled in the 76th minute through Christopher Nkunku.

Domenico Tedesco's men had lost two finals in the last three years, but they finally got their hands on the trophy at the Olympiastadion as Freiburg's Christian Gunter and Ermedin Demirovic missed their spot-kicks in the shoot-out.

RB Leipzig are into the DFB-Pokal final for the third time in four years after a dramatic stoppage-time header from Emil Forsberg sealed a 2-1 comeback win over Union Berlin.

For a while, Union themselves looked on course for next month's final after taking a 25th-minute lead, but Leipzig fought back in the second half and sealed progress at the death.

During a first half of few chances, Union proved the more clinical as Sheraldo Becker guided home impressively on the break.

But there were warning signs from a Leipzig side that dominated possession and parity was restored by an Andre Silva penalty in the 61st minute, and just when extra time seemed to beckon, Forsberg nodded in to spark bedlam in the Red Bull Arena.

Freiburg reached the DFB-Pokal final for the first time in their history with a 3-1 semi-final win at second-tier Hamburg.

Goals from Nils Petersen, Nicolas Hofler, and Vincenzo Grifo fired Freiburg into a commanding half-time lead as the visitors produced a scintillating counter-attacking display.

The Bundesliga's third-best defensive outfit then held on comfortably after the break, despite Robert Glatzel providing a late consolation for the hosts, and Freiburg will meet either RB Leipzig or Union Berlin in next month's final.

11 years after first joining the visitors, head coach Christian Streich continues to make history, with Freiburg's dreams of cup glory and a top-four Bundesliga finish remaining in their sights.  

Hamburg fell behind after just 11 minutes when Petersen headed home after a goalmouth scramble, with a quick VAR check ascertaining Roland Sallai was not interfering with play.

That goal gave Freiburg a huge boost, and they doubled their lead within five minutes when Hofler's long-range strike cannoned off Sebastien Schonlau and into the roof of the net.

Hamburg almost responded when Anssi Suhonen forced a save from Mark Flekken, but were out of the contest after 35 minutes when the VAR awarded Freiburg a bizarre penalty, with Vincenzo Grifo smashing home from the spot after Moritz Heyer clumsily kicked Nico Schlotterbeck in the neck.

Suhonen had a cool finish ruled out in a marginal offside call as Hamburg's nightmare half drew to a close, before Sallai rippled the side netting with a fierce strike shortly after the break.

The 2.Bundesliga team took the game to Freiburg in the second half, with Sonny Kittel's deflected volley drawing a decent save from Flekken after 67 minutes.

Hamburg were finally rewarded for their improvement when Glatzel nodded a consolation goal after 87 minutes, and Freiburg's Ermedin Demirovic struck a post from range as the visitors claimed a historic win.

What does it mean? Fantastic Freiburg reach new heights

Freiburg had never previously reached the German domestic cup final, losing to Stuttgart on their only previous semi-final appearance in 2013. 

Streich's men, however, will compete for their first major trophy in May's final, and could beat their highest-ever Bundesliga finish of fifth (in 2012-13) as they continue to chase a top-four spot.

Cup hero Petersen sets the tone

With a packed Volksparkstadion producing a boisterous atmosphere, Freiburg needed an early goal to quell any nerves, and got one through Petersen's header. The 33-year-old has now scored 12 in the competition, with no other player scoring more (Alexander Iashvilli also has 12).

Visitors make fast start count

After putting their hosts to the sword before the break, Freiburg have now scored six first-half goals in their four DFB-Pokal games this season, with only RB Leipzig scoring as many in the competition.

Streich's team also became just the second to hit three first-half goals in an away DFB-Pokal semi-final. Bayern Munich are the other team to do so at Schalke in 1984.

What's next?

Hamburg will look to revive their slim hopes of promotion from the 2.Bundesliga at Jahn Regensburg on Saturday, while Freiburg host Borussia Monchengladbach on the same day.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Marco Rose admits he is "angry" after his side spurned a golden opportunity to win a title after crashing out of the DFB-Pokal 2-1 to St Pauli on Tuesday.

DFB-Pokal holders Dortmund conceded twice in the first half before Erling Haaland pulled back a 58th minute penalty but they could not find an equalizer in the last-16 clash.

The defeat means for the first time since 2006-07, neither Dortmund or Bayern Munich will contend in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals, with Rose admitting it was a major missed opportunity.

"I'm just angry. The cup is a chance for a title and we're generally in good shape," Rose told Sky. "Then we just give the game away in the first 10 minutes.

"The fact that you then get into problems with the ground and the strong opponent under the conditions is inexplicable and cannot be excused."

Dortmund had come into the DFB-Pokal game fresh from beating SC Freiburg 5-1 in the Bundesliga on Friday, as well as coming from behind to win 3-2 over Eintracht Frankfurt.

"It's a pity and a bit stupid of us that after a top performance against Freiburg and the game we played in Frankfurt, we didn't do it again," Rose said.

"Unfortunately, we are again confirming a few things that have been held up to us in the last few weeks, months and years. It's just our fault.

"The end pisses me off because it was a chance for a title and we're just giving the game away."