Freiburg through to Cup semi-finals

BERLIN (AFP) –

Freiburg’s Daniel Caligiuri poses during the presentation of the team on August 2, 2012 in Freiburg im Breisgau. Freiburg came from two goals down to beat Mainz 3-2 after extra time in the quarter-finals of the German Cup on Wednesday to reach the last four for the first time in their history.

Freiburg came from two goals down to beat Mainz 3-2 after extra time in the quarter-finals of the German Cup on Wednesday to reach the last four for the first time in their history.

Mainz took a 2-0 lead inside four minutes at the Coface Arena thanks to goals from Shawn Parker and the Dane Niki Zimling, but the second-half sending-off of Zdenek Pospech helped swing the game in the visitors’ favour.

Croatian substitute Ivan Santini pulled one back for Freiburg, the modest club from the south-west of the country who are flying high in fifth place in the Bundesliga.

Daniel Caligiuri then forced extra time with a 90th-minute equaliser, before going on to net the winner.

Later on Tuesday, Wolfsburg were in action away to Kickers Offenbach, the third-tier side who have already eliminated top-flight clubs Greuther Fuerth and Fortuna Duesseldorf.

Bayern Munich play holders Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of last season’s final on Wednesday, with Stuttgart and second-tier VfL Bochum meeting in the other quarter-final.