Florian Wirtz Hits Double As Bayer Leverkusen Reach German Cup Final

Florian Wirtz scored a goal in each half as Bayer Leverkusen thrashed Fortuna Duesseldorf 4-0 at home on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final for the fifth time. Leverkusen have gained a reputation for stealing last-gasp wins this season but were in total control from start to finish against their second-division opponents. Jeremie Frimpong opened the scoring seven minutes in, with Amine Adli adding another on the 20-minute mark. With five goals, Adli is the top scorer in the cup this season.

Wirtz added a third 10 minutes before half-time and doubled up from the spot on the hour mark to seal a comfortable victory for Xabi Alonso's side.

The win, which extended Leverkusen's remarkable unbeaten record to 40 matches this season, keeps the dreams of a treble alive for a team with just two major trophies in club history.

Midfielder Granit Xhaka said his side were "doing everything we can to make the fans' dreams come true after so many years."

"A final is always special," Alonso said, explaining "we will be ready but we need to enjoy this moment."

They won the German Cup in 1993 but have finished runners-up three times since. Having never won the Bundesliga, Leverkusen are currently 13 points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich with seven games to play.

"It's a very good result and we managed to qualify for the final. It's fun to celebrate with the fans and to see the enjoyment when you look in their faces," said Wirtz.

"We're happy we could make them happy today."

Wirtz, the major target of transfer speculation at the club now that Alonso has pledged to stay with Leverkusen next year, told ZDF: "I'm not going to talk about those topics tonight -- we're going to celebrate."

Standing next to the German Cup, Leverkusen