GERD MÜLLER VS. FRANZ BECKENBAUER | GERMAN LEGENDS

 🔴 The first on the right is Gerd Müller, the only player to have won all possible individual and team titles. 

He won the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the Bundesliga, and the German Cup. He was the top scorer in the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, Bundesliga, and German Cup, and scored in the finals of the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, and German Cup. 

He won the Ballon d'Or and was named the best player in the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, and Bundesliga.

⚪️ The second is Franz Beckenbauer, one of the best defenders in history. He won the World Cup both as a player and as a coach with Germany. 

He was named the best player in Germany twice (1974 and 1976). He won the European Cup with Bayern Munich three consecutive times (1974, 1975, 1976), as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972. 

He won the Bundesliga four times and the German Cup four times with Bayern Munich, and the American Soccer League three times with Cosmos. He also won the European Championship with Germany in 1972 and earned the Ballon d'Or twice.

At a time when the German national team had the best defender and the best striker in the world. 

BAYERN MÜNCHEN'S EMMANUEL NEUER GETS TWO-GAME BAN AFTER RWD CARD

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer has been given a two-game German Cup ban for "unsportsmanlike conduct" in Tuesday's match against Bayer Leverkusen, the country's football federation (DFB) said on Thursday.

The 38-year-old goalkeeper received the first red card in his near two-decade-long career after he came off his line and knocked down Jeremie Frimpong.

Following the incident, Neuer was sent off by referee Harm Osmers in the 17th minute of Bayern's 1-0 loss to Leverkusen.

"The player is also banned from all of his club's other cup matches until the ban expires," DFB said in a statement.

Manuel Neuer was shown his first-ever red card on Tuesday. Stefan Matzke - sampics/Getty Images

"According to established DFB case law, the prevention of an obvious scoring chance by a non-serious foul without subsequent scoring usually entails a two-match suspension."

The ban only applies to domestic cup matches and since Bayern are out of the German Cup, Neuer would not serve it until next season.

Neuer's contract at Bayern also expires at the end of this season, and should he decide not to extend it, retire, or leave German football, he might never serve this ban.

- Reuters 

MUSIALA SCORES HAT TRICK AS BAYERN ROUT MAINZ IN GERMAN CUP

In-form Jamal Musiala bagged a first half hat trick to steer Bayern Munich to a 4-0 victory over hosts Mainz on Wednesday and into the German Cup third round.

Germany midfielder Musiala, who also scored in their 5-0 league win over VfL Bochum on Sunday, slotted in from a Harry Kane pass for a second-minute lead after a powerful run down the left by Alphonso Davies.

Musiala headed in the second goal in the 37th from close range.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern, who had lost in the second round in three of the last four German Cup competitions, struck twice more in first-half stoppage time through Leroy Sane and Musiala to kill off the tie.

The visitors took their foot off the gas after the break, but Mainz still found no way past the Bayern defence.

Substitute Leon Goretzka thought he had scored another for Bayern with a glancing header but Mainz keeper Robin Zentner pulled off a sensational save to deny the midfielder.

Eintracht Frankfurt also advanced with a 2-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach as did Werder Bremen following their 1-0 win over second division's Paderborn.

Fellow Bundesliga club Union Berlin, however, crashed out of the competition after losing 2-0 at third-tier club Arminia Bielefeld.

Game Information

MEWA ARENA

10:45 PM, 30 October 2024

Mainz, Germany

Referees: Sascha Stegemann

- Reuters 

BERND HÖLZENBEIN, WORLD CUP WINNER WITH WEST GERMANY IN 1974, DIES AT 78

AP Photo 

 FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Bernd Hölzenbein, who won a crucial penalty in West Germany's victory over the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup final, has died. He was 78.

Hölzenbein's former club Eintracht Frankfurt said in a statement Tuesday that he died Monday while with his family, without giving further details.

“One of the greatest we have ever had,” the club wrote on social media.

Hölzenbein played 40 games for West Germany but is best known for his role in the 2-1 comeback victory over the Netherlands to win the World Cup on home soil in 1974.

Playing in Munich, the Germans had gone behind to an early penalty from Dutch midfielder Johan Neeskens. Hölzenbein helped get his team back into the game when he dribbled into the crowded Dutch box and was brought down by a lunging tackle from Wim Jansen. Paul Breitner converted the penalty to level the score at 1-1.

West Germany went on to win thanks to Gerd Müller's goal just before halftime and some robust defending to upset the favored Dutch team.

Hölzenbein went on to play another major final with West Germany at the 1976 European Championship, where he scored in the final against Czechoslovakia to level the score at 2-2 before his team lost on penalties.

Hölzenbein spent most of his club career with Frankfurt, winning the UEFA Cup in 1980 and the German Cup three times. After retirement he served as Frankfurt's vice president and worked for the team as a scout.

LEVERKUSEN'S UNBEATEN RUN AND KLOPP'S FAIRYTALE FINISH AT STAKE IN EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTERS

AP Photo 

 The Europa League has reached the quarterfinals, with Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool looking the teams to beat.

Here are the narratives at play ahead of the first-leg matches on Thursday:

STILL UNBEATEN

It’s 41 games and counting for Bayer Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso.

In what is turning into an historic season, the German club has yet to be beaten in any game in any competition and takes that undefeated streak into a home game against West Ham.

Leverkusen is on course to clinch its first ever Bundesliga title this weekend, with the team having built a remarkable 16-point lead. The trophy will be theirs if second-place Bayern Munich loses to Cologne on Saturday, otherwise on Sunday if Leverkusen wins at home to Werder Bremen.

Alonso’s team is also in the German Cup final, so a treble of trophies is on.

West Ham is having another impressive season in Europe after winning the Europa Conference League last season.

FAIRYTALE ENDING

Another team bidding for a treble is Liverpool, in manager Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge.

The English League Cup has already been secured and the team is embroiled in a tight Premier League title race with Arsenal and Manchester City, with only one point separating the three clubs with seven games left.

If Liverpool reaches the Europa League final, it would be Klopp's final game in charge after nearly nine years — ensuring fans of the Reds would make the short trip to Dublin in their thousands in the hope of a fairytale ending for the German coach.

Next up for Liverpool is Atalanta. They met in the group stage of the 2020-21 Champions League, with each team winning away.

AO Photo 

COMPLETING THE SET

Lifting the Europa League would see AC Milan complete the set in continental soccer.

Milan, a seven-time winner of the European Cup or Champions League, has also won the discontinued European Cup Winners' Cup twice, as well as the UEFA Super Cup a record five times but has never triumphed in the Europa League, or the UEFA Cup as it was previously known.

The Rossoneri have never even reached the final — something Roma, its opponent in the quarterfinals, achieved twice, losing both in 1991 and last year.

Milan is no stranger to all-Italian knockout matches, having beaten Napoli in the Champions League quarterfinals last season before losing to Inter Milan in the semifinals.

MARSEILLE

Marseille’s resurgence under coach Jean-Louis Gasset has ground to a halt. After winning his first five games in charge, with 18 goals scored during that run, Gasset’s side has lost the past four matches. Marseille’s bad habits have returned, with defensive lapses, sloppy play in midfield and a lack of cutting edge up front all too apparent recently. At least Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is still scoring, though, and he has 23 goals this season. The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker has been particularly strong in Europe this campaign with 11 goals in 11 games. But Gasset also needs someone else to step up in attack against Benfica.

CONFERENCE LEAGUE

It's also the quarterfinals of the Conference League on Thursday, with Aston Villa hosting Lille in the standout matchup.

Villa is managed by Unai Emery, whose pedigree in Europa is well-known after winning the Europa League on four occasions — three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal — and also getting to the final with Arsenal.

Also, Olympiakos is at home to Fenerbahce, Fiorentina heads to Viktoria Plzen and Club Brugge and PAOK. Olympiakos and PAOK are hoping to reach a home final in Athens.

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AP Sports Writers Daniella Matar in Milan and Jerome Pugmire in Paris contributed to this story

GERMAN LEGEND FRANZ BECKENBAUER DIES AT 78

Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup with Germany in 1974. Werner Schulze/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Franz Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner with West Germany as a player and coach who was regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died at the age of 78.

German news agency DPA said the family confirmed Beckenbauer's death via statement.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family," the family said.

"We ask that you allow us to grieve in silence and refrain from asking any questions."

Beckenbauer, born in Munich, shaped German football as a player, coach and official. His elegance and leadership qualities on the pitch with Bayern Munich and his country won him the nickname "Der Kaiser," which translates as "The Emperor." Pelé called him "one of the best I ever saw play."

He won the 1972 and 1976 Ballon d'Or awards and was named Germany's Footballer of the Century in 2000. He received the FIFA Centennial Player and Football Personality Award in 2004.

Beckenbauer defined the role of the Libero, the free player behind the defensive lines who set the pace of the game.

Winning 103 caps for Germany between September 1965 and February 1977, he led Germany's "golden generation" to the 1972 European Championship and triumphed on home soil at the 1974 World Cup.

Beckenbauer is one of three people to have won the World Cup as both a player and coach, alongside Mário Zagallo with Brazil and Didier Deschamps with France.

At club level in Germany, he won three European Cups, a European Cup Winners' Cup, five Bundesliga titles and four German cups with Bayern Munich and Hamburg.

SESKO DOUBLE HELPS HOLDERS LEIPZIG BEAT SECOND-TIER WIESBADEN 3-2

Reuters

Holders RB Leipzig were made to work hard and needed two goals from striker Benjamin Sesko to secure a 3-2 win over second division club Wehen Wiesbaden on Wednesday and a spot in the German Cup second round.

Leipzig, who host Manchester City in the Champions League next week, took a seventh-minute lead through Emil Forsberg's shot on the rebound before Sesko doubled the advantage in the 18th, slotting in from close range after a defensive mistake.

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