DFB Pokal 2023-24 Match Ratings: Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen, Final

Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany hosted the 2023/24 DFB Pokal final today between Kaiserslautern and Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. Kaiserslautern barely survived relegation in the second division of German football but their cup run has surely been the most talked about thing across the football community this year.

In a surprise turn of events, Kaiserslautern started off on the front foot in order to get the early goal and put the opposition under pressure. However, a great strike in the 16th minute from Granit Xhaka gave Bayer Leverkusen the lead at the start. Bayer Leverkusen dictated the proceedings for the rest of the half but Odilon Kossounou received a second yellow which shifted the momentum of the game. Kaiserslautern had some great opportunities in the second half but could not muster anything against the solid defence of Bayer Leverkusen. Let's take a look at the player ratings from today's DFB Pokal final between Kaiserslautern and Bayer Leverkusen.

Ratings for the game : -

Kaiserslautern: 

Julian Krahl - 6.5

The keeper made some good saves but was unable to do much for the opener from Xhaka.

Tymoteusz Puchacz - 6

The left-back was facing difficulty while handling the creative attackers of Bayer Leverkusen but made sure he got the job done on most occassions

Boris Tomiak - 6.5

The centre-back made some key interceptions and was fairly decent against the Bayer Leverkusen attackers. He was later substituted in the second half.

Ben Zolinski - 5

The full-back posed more attacking threats in the second half and kept his flank quiet for most of the game.

Jan Elvedi - 6

The centre-back was mediocre today and was getting dominated by the Bayer Leverkusen attackers, but made some decent interceptions when called upon.

Tobias Raschi - 5.5

The midfielder might have been at fault for the opener as he could not get close to Xhaka as the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder shot the ball from outside the box.

Filip Koloc - 4.5

The midfielder was mostly seen helping out the defence and stayed back even after the opposition went down to ten men.

Kenny Prince Redondo - 6.5

The Kaiserslautern player was their creative mind in the midfield and in the attack. He looked great whenever he had possession of the ball today.

Marlon Ritter - 7

The winger was bright at the start of the game but faded away once the opposition got the lead today. 

Jean Zimmer - 5

The midfielder was getting bullied in the midfield and lost a fair few duels throughout the game.

Daniel Hanslik - 4

The striker was invisible during the first half and because of his poor display, he was substituted after half-time. 

Substitutions :

Ragnar Ache - 6.5

The attacker was great after coming on as he got some great chances but still could not muster a goal for his side.

Richmond Tachie - N/A

Aaron Opoku - N/A

Philipp Klement - N/A

Almamy Toure - N/A

Bayer Leverkusen

Lukas Hradecky - 6

The keeper made a great save in the first minutes of the game but was troubled less throughout the game.

Odilon Kossounou - 3

The defender received a yellow card and later in the first half he got another yellow which meant he had to depart the field of play. It was a poor effort for the defender and one that certainly affected his side.

Jonathan Tah - 7

The German centre-back was solid at the back and had to do the bulk of the interceptions because his team was down to ten men.

Edmond Tapsoba - 6.5

The centre-back had an early jitter but dealt well with the pace of the wingers of Kaiserslautern and looked great in the duels.

Jeremie Frimpong - 8

The Dutch full-back was once again the key player and his pace was extremely helpful for the side today in the DFB Pokal final.

Granit Xhaka - 8.5

It was the Swiss midfielder’s strike that gave the lead to Bayer Leverkusen and was once again dominant in the midfield today. 

Robert Andrich - 6

The defensive midfielder lost possession on a few occasions but was lucky none of the errors led to any goals.

Alejandro Grimaldo - 7.5

The full-back was great in the attack and kept the right flank of Kaiserslautern relatively quiet.

Jonas Hofmann - 7

The midfielder was great today as he supported both the defence and attack whenever needed to and looked great with the ball.

Florian Wirtz - 6.5

The playmaker was creative once again and was making chances for the Europa League runners-up. 

Patrick Schick  5.5

The striker got some chances in the first half but was relatively kept quiet by the opposition defenders. 

Substitutions: 

Amine Adli - 5

The forward created some great opportunities but was unable to add to the lead of Bayer Leverkusen in the second half.

Josip Stanisic - 6.5

The full-back gave the team good support after coming on in the second half and kept his flank quiet.

Pierre Hincapie - N/A

Nathan Tella - N/A

Adam Hlozek - N/A