Gio Reyna scored twice and Jude Bellingham once as Borussia Dortmund reached the German Cup final with a dominant showing from its young talents to beat second-tier Holstein Kiel 5-0 on Saturday.
Dortmund's win was never in doubt as all the goals came in the first half against a Kiel team which had been pushed to the limit by two quarantines for coronavirus outbreaks this year and a packed schedule.
Reyna put Dortmund in front from the 16th minute with a shot from the edge of the box off a pass from Jadon Sancho.
Dortmund's Giovanni Reyna, third right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the German Soccer Cup semifinal match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 1, 2021. (Friedemann VogelPool via AP)
Reyna made it 2-0 seven minutes later when the midfielder was left with a tap-in after Marco Reus was challenged by the Kiel goalkeeper and Raphael Guerreiro backheeled the loose ball toward Reyna.
Marco Reus added a third soon after off Emre Can's lobbed pass, and Thorgan Hazard made it four with a solo run through the center and low finish. Bellingham's deflected shot for the fifth goal just before halftime was greeted with more muted celebrations.
Dortmund was already worrying about injuries as striker Erling Haaland watched from the stands with a muscle problem. Worse came when substitute right back Mateu Morey was taken off on a stretcher in the 72nd after a serious knee injury left him screaming in pain.
Dortmund's Jude Bellingham scores his side's fifth goal during the German Soccer Cup semifinal match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 1, 2021. (AP PhotoMartin Meissner, Pool)
Kiel pulled off the shock of the competition when it eliminated 2020 winner Bayern Munich in the second round. The club hoped for promotion to the Bundesliga but its season was thrown off course in March when the entire team was put into quarantine after an outbreak of the virus. Another quarantine followed in April, leaving Kiel with fitness problems and a vast backlog of rescheduled games.
Dortmund will play Leipzig in the final in Berlin on May 13 in what will be the last game in charge for both coaches. Dortmund's Edin Terzic is handing over to Marco Rose for next season when his interim spell in charge ends, while Leipzig's Julian Nagelsmann is leaving for Bayern.
Dortmund last reached the final when it beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 for the title in 2017.
Dortmund's Thorgan Hazard, left, is challenged by Kiel's Simon Lorenz during the German Soccer Cup semifinal match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 1, 2021. (Friedemann VogelPool via AP)
Leipzig is seeking the first major trophy in the club's short history. Its only previous appearance in a final was when it lost to Bayern 3-0 in 2019.
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Dortmund's Marco Reus scores his side's third goal during the German Soccer Cup semifinal match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 1, 2021. (AP PhotoMartin Meissner, Pool)
Greuther Fürth was relegated from the Bundesliga after losing at home to Champions League candidate Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 on Saturday.
Jetro Willems gave the enthusiastic home fans some hope of a miraculous escape with the opening goal in the fifth minute, but Patrik Schick answered four minutes later and Sardar Azmoun, Paulinho and Exequiel Palacios piled on for the visitors.
Fürth remained bottom of the league after 31 games – 12 points from safety with three games remaining.
Fuerth's players Sebastian Griesbeck, left, and Timothy Tillman, right, walk across the pitch after the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Fuerth, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. Greuther Fürth has been relegated from the Bundesliga with a 4-1 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen. (Daniel Karmanndpa via AP)
Coach Stefan Leitl’s team was promoted last year when it finished second in the second division, but it never recovered from a poor start to the Bundesliga despite encouraging performances in the second half of the season. Fürth lost all but one of its first 14 games until it claimed its first win in the 15th round by beating Union Berlin.
Also on Saturday, Union came from behind thanks to substitute Sven Michel to beat Leipzig 2-1 away and atone for its loss to Leipzig in their German Cup semifinal on Wednesday.
Michel equalized in the 86th then set up Kevin Behrens with his heel for a dramatic winner in the 89th as Union won in Leipzig for the first time.
Fuerth's players walk across the pitch after the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Fuerth, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. Greuther Fürth has been relegated from the Bundesliga with a 4-1 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen. (Daniel Karmanndpa via AP)
The end of Leipzig’s 15-game unbeaten run across all competitions allowed Leverkusen to reclaim third place. Leverkusen dropped to fourth last weekend with a loss at home to Leipzig, but the sides have switched positions again, leaving Leipzig in the last qualification place for the Champions League.
Freiburg was fifth after coming from two goals down to lead Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 only to concede the equalizer in injury time to Gladbach’s Lars Stindl.
Cologne was seventh behind Union after a 3-1 win over Arminia Bielefeld, which remained second from bottom and the favorite to join Fürth in the second division.
Union's Sven Michel, right, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and 1. FC Union Berlin in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Jan Woitasdpa via AP)
Also, Eintracht Frankfurt drew with Hoffenheim 2-2.
Bayern Munich hosted main rival Borussia Dortmund in “der Klassiker” late Saturday, when the Bavarian powerhouse was hoping to seal what would be a record-extending 10th consecutive title.
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Leverkusen's scorer Exequiel Palacios, left, and his teammate Paulinho celebrate their side's fourth goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Fuerth, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Daniel Karmanndpa via AP)
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Freiburg's Christian Guenter celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SC Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022 (Tom Wellerdpa via AP)
Frankfurt's Daichi Kamada, center, scores his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween Eintracht Frankfurt and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Arne Dedertdpa via AP)
Cologne's scorer Anthony Modeste, left, and Jannes Horn, right, celebrate their side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween 1. FC Cologne and Arminia Bielefeld in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Marius Beckerdpa via AP)
Frankfurt's head coach Oliver Glasner gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween Eintracht Frankfurt and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Arne Dedertdpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Sardar Azmoun celebrates his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Fuerth, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Daniel Karmanndpa via AP)
Freiburg's head coach Christian Streich gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SC Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Tom Wellerdpa via AP)
Moenchengladbach's Kouadio Kone, left, and Freiburg's Vincenzo Grifo, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SC Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Tom Wellerdpa via AP)
Leipzig's goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, right, saves the ball against Union's Taiwo Awoniyi, left, during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween RB Leipzig and 1. FC Union Berlin in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. ( Jan Woitasdpa via AP)
