Leverkusen is seeking to keep the Bundesliga title fight going after its shock cup exit

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — After one of Germany's all-time greatest cup shocks, Bayer Leverkusen needs to dust itself off and try to keep the fight for the league title going.

After Leverkusen was stunned 2-1 by third-division Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup semifinals on Tuesday, the Bundesliga is the only chance for Xabi Alonso’s team to end the season with a trophy. It's a long shot.

Bayern Munich leads Leverkusen by six points with seven games remaining, though Leverkusen can focus solely on the league. Bayern has a slightly trickier Bundesliga schedule and a looming Champions League quarterfinal date with Inter Milan.

— Bayern has a potentially tricky trip to Augsburg on Friday night, having lost twice in the last four years at the home of its local rival.

— Leverkusen plays Heidenheim on Saturday, facing another opponent it should be expected to beat easily but which, like Bielefeld, might have a sting in the tail. Relegation-threatened Heidenheim has won its last two games to climb to 16th.

— Zsolt Low has his first Bundesliga game as Leipzig coach against Hoffenheim on Saturday. Low, formerly an assistant to Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea and Bayern, lost on debut on Wednesday to Stuttgart in the cup semifinals.

— Bayern is used to relying heavily on an irreplaceable English player, but this week the focus is as much on defender Eric Dier as star striker Harry Kane. Squad injuries have put pressure on Dier to combine well with Kim Min-jae at center back.

— Maximilian Beier's form has been key to Niko Kovac's efforts to turn around a disappointing season for 10th-placed Borussia Dortmund. Beier scored twice last week as Dortmund beat Mainz 3-1 and could be important against Freiburg on Saturday.

— The absence of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz has brought a shift in Leverkusen's tactics and a slump in its results. He's likely to miss out on Saturday, though defender Edmond Tapsoba could reportedly make his return from injury.

— Bayern's defense is stretched after Hiroki Ito broke a bone in his foot last week and became the third Bayern defender to be seriously injured in the space of a week, joining Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano on the sidelines.

— Bayern great Thomas Müller is nearing an exit from the club amid reports he will not be offered a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

— “Defeats are an important part of development. The team and the club are fundamentally on the right path.” — Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Leverkusen players celebrate after a goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Bochum at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Trump said Tuesday he’s canceled talks with Iranian officials amid a protest crackdown, telling Iranian citizens “help is on its way.”

Trump did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after the Republican president earlier this week said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic that has killed more than 2,000, according to human right monitors.

But Trump with his latest message on social media appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government.

"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote in a morning post on Truth Social. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

The U.S. president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against antigovernment protesters. Trump on Sunday told reporters he believed Iran is “starting to cross” that line and has left him and his national security team weighing “very strong options” even as he said the Iranians had made outreach efforts to the U.S.

But on Monday, the president’s team offered guarded hope that diplomatic solution could be found.

“What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

Also on Monday, Trump said he would slap 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran “effective immediately,” but the White House has not provided details on that move. China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia are among economies that do business with Tehran.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key White House National Security Council officials began meeting Friday to develop options for Trump, ranging from a diplomatic approach to military strikes.

Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)

Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)

President Donald Trump waves after arriving on Air Force One from Florida, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)