Leverkusen’s Unbeaten Run Hits 30 Games in Thrilling German Cup Win Over Stuttgart 

Football - DFB Cup - Quarter Final - Bayer Leverkusen v VfB Stuttgart - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - February 6, 2024 Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah celebrates with teammates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - DFB Cup - Quarter Final - Bayer Leverkusen v VfB Stuttgart - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - February 6, 2024 Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah celebrates with teammates after the match. (Reuters)
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Leverkusen’s Unbeaten Run Hits 30 Games in Thrilling German Cup Win Over Stuttgart 

Football - DFB Cup - Quarter Final - Bayer Leverkusen v VfB Stuttgart - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - February 6, 2024 Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah celebrates with teammates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - DFB Cup - Quarter Final - Bayer Leverkusen v VfB Stuttgart - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - February 6, 2024 Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah celebrates with teammates after the match. (Reuters)

Bayer Leverkusen reached 30 games unbeaten in all competitions this season with a 3-2 comeback win over Stuttgart to reach the German Cup semifinals Tuesday.

Jonathan Tah’s 90th-minute header won the game and spared Xabi Alonso’s team extra time ahead of a league game Saturday against title rival Bayern Munich. On the sideline, Alonso jumped and punched the air in celebration.

Leverkusen had twice recovered from a goal down. Stuttgart took the lead at a corner when Waldemar Anton got away from his marker Edmond Tapsoba and headed in at the far post. Midfielder Robert Andrich leveled the score early in the second half with a curling shot from around 20 meters (yards) into the top-right corner.

Chris Führich restored Stuttgart’s lead in a move that began when Andrich gave away the ball, but Amine Adli leveled again for Leverkusen on the break from a through ball from Florian Wirtz, who also assisted Tah’s winner. It was the third time in Leverkusen’s last five games that it won a on a goal scored in the 90th minute or stoppage time.

Both teams were left with questions over the refereeing, as Andrich was lucky to escape a second yellow card for a heavy tackle in which he stepped on Enzo Millot’s foot.

Leverkusen was aggrieved when Stuttgart’s Hiroki Ito brought down Jeremie Frimpong with a slide tackle in the box. The referee and video review opted not to give a penalty, even though Ito didn’t seem to make any contact with the ball.

The win keeps alive the chance at a league and cup double for Leverkusen, a team sometimes dubbed “Neverkusen” for its historic tendency to fall just short of winning trophies. Leverkusen’s last trophy was the German Cup in 1993.

Leverkusen joins second-division teams Fortuna Duesseldorf and Kaiserslautern in the semifinals. Top-division Borussia Moenchengladbach plays third-tier Saarbruecken for the last spot on Wednesday.

The stadium briefly fell silent as a fan was treated after falling from a stand. The person was conscious, Leverkusen said.



Tour Reverses Decision to Bar Israeli Players from Indoor Championships

Tour Reverses Decision to Bar Israeli Players from Indoor Championships
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Tour Reverses Decision to Bar Israeli Players from Indoor Championships

Tour Reverses Decision to Bar Israeli Players from Indoor Championships

The World Bowls Tour has reversed a decision to bar Israeli players from this month's World Indoor Bowls Championships in England after putting in place additional security measures.

The WBT said in a statement that the Israelis were welcome to participate in the Jan. 10-26 tournament at Potters Resorts in Hopton-on-Sea, near the eastern port of Great Yarmouth.

"Significant additional security measures have been put in place," it explained, Reuters reported.

"The WBT acknowledges that this has been a difficult time for all involved and we are pleased that we have been able to achieve an outcome that includes players for all supporting countries."

The U-turn restores Daniel Alomin to the singles draw and Amnon Amar and Itai Rigbi to the pairs.

The original decision, which followed a campaign by pro-Palestinian groups, was condemned by a local parliamentarian and Jewish representatives.

The WBT is not affiliated with World Bowls, the Melbourne-based international federation that organises a rival World Bowls Indoor Championships.