Talismanic Sesko Leads RB Leipzig to DFB Pokal Semi-Final Victory Over Wolfsburg

RB Leipzig moved closer to securing their third DFB-Pokal title in four years after clinching a 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals, courtesy of a penalty from Benjamin Šeško in the second half.

Both teams, familiar adversaries in the DFB-Pokal—having squared off six times in the past 11 seasons—were eager to attack from the outset, resulting in a flurry of chances at both ends.

Lois Openda, who recently broke a goal drought, was unable to add to his tally, skewing wide of the near post just four minutes in. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg’s Tiago Tomás struck the side netting after being played through by Patrick Wimmer.

A few erratic long-range efforts from Leipzig interrupted the flow of the game, but the visitors quickly regained momentum around the half-hour mark, forcing Maarten Vandervoordt into two straightforward saves.

As the first half drew to a close, it appeared that action had subsided, yet there was a flurry of opportunities in stoppage time, highlighted by Wimmer’s near-post shot that Vandervoordt saved impressively.

The second half began in much the same manner as the first, with both teams creating numerous opportunities but still failing to score. Mohamed Amoura, who netted twice in Wolfsburg’s convincing 5-1 victory back in November, came closest yet, seeing his header cannon off the crossbar.

Vandervoordt was kept busy again shortly after, tipping over a fierce strike from Andreas Skov Olsen. However, the ensuing pressure from Leipzig resulted in the opening goal for the Red Bulls.

This breakthrough came from a penalty after Šeško’s cross struck the arm of Kilian Fischer. The Slovenian stepped up and coolly converted into the bottom left corner from 12 yards out.

This marked the first goal that Wolfsburg had conceded in this season’s Pokal, but they nearly found themselves two goals down shortly after with opportunities for Openda and Amadou Haidara.

Leipzig’s apparent unwillingness to settle for a draw led to a flurry of late chances, yet Kevin Behrens failed to capitalise on Wolfsburg’s best opportunity as they faced elimination.

Despite having demonstrated their resilience against Bundesliga opposition in each of the last three rounds, Leipzig will be hoping to face third-division Arminia Bielefeld, who have made it to the semi-finals after a remarkable run that included victories over Union Berlin, Freiburg, and Werder Bremen.