BERLIN, May 12: Schalke 04 upset Bayer Leverkusen’s preparations for the Champions League final by fighting back from a goal down to outplay them 4-2 in the German Cup final on Saturday.

Leverkusen, who will challenge Real Madrid next Wednesday at Hampden Park in Glasgow, missed out on a trophy again just a week after finishing runners-up to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

While Leverkusen added weight to their reputation as the nearly men of German soccer, holders Schalke lived up to their tag as cup specialists by lifting the trophy for the fourth time.

“We showed how well we can play football,” Schalke goalkeeper Oliver Reck said. “The way we kept fighting and counter-attacking was just great.”—Reuters