David vs. Goliath: The biggest German Cup upsets
"The Cup has its own rules" is a popular saying among German football fans. When lower-tier clubs take on domestic giants, the roles are clearly defined. But sometimes teams refuse to follow the script.
Kickers Offenbach history?
Kickers Offenbach made history in 1970 as the first team from outside the top tier to lift the German Cup, beating Cologne 2-1 in the final. However, it wasn’t quite what it seemed. They had started the 1969-70 season in the second tier, but the 1970 World Cup pushed the latter German Cup rounds back. Offenbach were already a Bundesliga team with a new squad from the round of 16 onwards.
Bayern's World Cup hangover
Bayern Munich experienced a number of negative cup surprises in the 1990s. The first one came in the first round of the 1990–91 competition, where they had to travel to third-tier club FV Weinheim. Bayern fielded six players from the 1990 German FIFA World Cup winning side, but lost 1–0 and were knocked out in the first round of the German Cup for the first time in the club's history.
Second-division glory
The 1991-92 German Cup saw Hannover become only the second second-tier club to lift the trophy after seeing off five Bundesliga clubs in Bochum, Borussia Dortmund, Karlsruhe, Werder Bremen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. The final ended 4-3 after a penalty shootout in favor of the team from Lower Saxony.
Everyone knows Vestenbergsgreuth now
On 14 August 1994, the first round of the German Cup, the name "TSV Vestenbergsgreuth" shot to fame. The third-division team from Bavaria beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in one of the greatest upsets in German Cup history. It was Bayern's first competitive match under new manager Giovanni Trapattoni. Lothar Matthäus (photo, left) was lost for words after the game.
Penalty madness
Stuttgart's defeat at Sandhausen on August 27, 1995 will be remembered for one of the most memorable penalty shootouts in German football history. Having played to a 2-2 draw after extra time, players from both sides converted 25 consecutive penalties until Stuttgart's Hendrik Herzog hit the post. Final score: 13-12 after penalties for third-tier side Sandhausen.
Cottbus advances to final
It was mid-April and yet there was snow on the pitch in Cottbus when Energie Cottbus pulled off a cup coup against Bundesliga side Karlsruhe in 1997. After an uneventful first half, the home side put three goals past the favorite in the second to advance to the German Cup final – which they lost 2-0 to Stuttgart.
Trier causes champions collapse
In 1997, third-tier Eintracht Trier defeated not only UEFA Cup champions Schalke, but also dumped out reigning Champions League holders Borussia Dortmund on the way to the semifinal. A narrow defeat to MSV Duisburg after penalties brought Trier's remarkable 1997 cup journey to an end.
Bayern... yet again
Bayern Munich might be the German Cup's record champions, but they've also had their fair share of humiliating losses. In November 2000, Magdeburg knocked them out of the Cup in the second round. The fourth-tier side sensationally beat the defending champions 4-2 on penalties. After extra time, the score was 1-1.
Amateur club reaches final
In 2001, Union Berlin carried on their success of promotion to Bundesliga 2 with an impressive cup run, which caught national attention. After beating Mönchengladbach in the semifinal, Union earned their dream final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on May 26 2001. Despite a gallant effort, Bundesliga runner-ups Schalke ran out 2-0 winners.
Cup frenzy in black and yellow
In 2004, Alemannia Aachen delivered a Cup match for the ages, defeating Bayern Munich 2-1 in the quarterfinal. Aachen striker Erik Meijer (photo) scored the deciding goal for the second-division side to send their fans into dreamland. Their miracle run continued all the way to the final, where they lost to double winners Werder Bremen.
Saarbrücken's dream run
Saarbrücken’s giant-killing run in the German Cup in 2024 became one of the stories of the season. The third-tier club from the town on the French border delivered a stunning second-round victory over Bayern Munich, followed by wins over Bundesliga sides Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16 and Borussia Mönchengladbach. The journey came to an end against Kaiserslautern in the semifinal.
Bielefeld's miracle run to the final
Arminia Bielefeld, who were relegated from the Bundesliga in 2022 before dropping another division the following year, have been punching above their weight in the cup in 2025. On one of the greatest runs of all-time, the third division team beat Freiburg, Union Berlin, Werder Bremen and defending champions Leverkusen to reach the final in Berlin.