Arminia Bielefeld shocked the football world when they overcame double-holders Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 to reach the DFB Cup final. Despite only sitting fourth in the 3. Liga, the prospect of Bielefeld winning the cup and playing European football next season is now tantalisingly close. Here we look at the profiles of five players that have driven Arminia to the brink of cup glory.

So, who are the stars of this giant-killing team from north-west Germany?

Find out more about Bielefeld as a club

Mael Corboz

Age: 30 (born 6 September 1994)
Position: Midfielder
Nation: USA

Corboz is Bielefeld’s club captain having joined the club in January 2024 during what was then a third-division relegation battle. Since then, Arminia have sprung back brilliantly and are now challenging for promotion and the DFB Cup, all with Corboz at the heart of everything.

Having come through the New York Red Bulls academy in the US, the American has actually spent much of his career in Germany's lower leagues, but Bielefeld’s semi-final cup success was no doubt a personal highlight. Talking after the game to Optus Sport, Corboz spoke of his sheer disbelief at the club’s achievements.

American midfielder Mael Corboz has captained Bielefeld to the final. - IMAGO/kolbert-press/Marc Niemeyer

"I had goosebumps the whole warm-up. I looked over and I saw Bastian Schweinsteiger. I was standing here, and I couldn't really believe it. I'm an Arsenal fan and I played against Granit Xhaka.

"There are so many things right now. I can't really describe it. Like I said, I can't believe it. It'll probably take a few months before I actually believe it, or maybe when we're on our way to Berlin, I might actually believe it."

Corboz has played every minute of Bielefeld’s cup run so far along with featuring in 27 league matches, where he has five goals to his name and is the club’s second-top scorer.

Marius Wörl

Age: 20 (5 April 2004)
Position: Midfielder
Nation: Germany

Marius Wörl has been Bielefeld's star player this season. - IMAGO/pmk

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Wörl has been Bielefeld’s star player throughout their cup run and is currently the joint-second top scorer in the competition behind Patrik Schick, Benjamin Šeško and Nick Woltemade with three goals. The third of these was of course the equaliser against Leverkusen that set Bielefeld on track to turn the game around. Wörl also has three assists in the competition making him the player with the most goal involvements in the entire tournament.

Wörl was once part of Bayern Munich’s academy but crossed the city divide to 1860 Munich before beginning his senior career. In the summer of 2023, he moved to Hannover before being loaned out to Bielefeld shortly afterwards. Despite Bielefeld opting to sign Wörl permanently as part of a loan clause, Wörl will be returning to Hannover this summer after the Reds immediately activated a buy-back clause.

Still only 20, Wörl has already represented Germany at both U19 and U20 levels, and if his cup performances are anything to go by, the youngster is set for a meteoric rise in the years to come.

Julian Kania

Age: 23 (10 October 2001)
Position: Forward
Nation: Germany

Julian Kania is Bielefeld's top scorer this season. - IMAGO/kolbert-press/Marc Niemeyer

Regardless of being an unused substitute for Bielefeld during their win over Leverkusen, Kania is the club’s top scorer this season with 12 league goals and one in the cup. That is despite frequently having to make his mark from the bench.

Kania joined Bielefeld in the summer from Nuremberg, and although he struggled to nail down a starting spot initially, his proficiency in front of goal has been vital to Arminia's promotion push in the league. Should he feature in the final, Kania has every chance of making a significant impact.

Louis Oppie

Age: 22 (17 May 2002)
Position: Defender
Nation: Germany

Defender Louis Oppie hasn't missed a minute in the cup this season. - IMAGO/kolbert-press/Marc Niemeyer

Despite only joining Bielefeld during the summer of 2023, Oppie is one of the club’s longest-serving players with 79 appearances in all competitions. Like Wörl, Oppie also joined from Hannover and was once part of Hertha Berlin’s academy.

Since arriving at Arminia, Oppie has proved not just a solid defensive option but also a goal threat. So far this season, the left-back has three goals and six assists in the league, along with three further goal contributions in the cup. Oppie provided the assist for Maximilian Großer’s winning goal against Leverkusen and, like Corboz, has featured in every minute of the competition so far.

Jonas Kersken

Age: 24 (1 September 2000)
Position: Goalkeeper
Nation: Germany/England

Jonas Kerksen hasn't missed a minute all season for Bielefeld. - IMAGO/Fotostand / Nachtigall

Kerksen is the only Bielefeld player to have featured in every minute of every competition so far this season, and his performances and consistency between the sticks have been paramount to the team's success. In total, he has 11 clean sheets across the league and DFB Cup. He is also the player with the most Bielefeld appearances out of the current squad, with 81.

Like some of the others on this list, Kerksen too was part of a Bundesliga academy having come through the youth setup at Borussia Mönchengladbach. During his time there, the 24-year-old was even contacted by both the English and Scottish Football Associations regarding his international eligibility. Kerksen’s mother is English so he would be allowed to represent the three lions should a call come his way one day from Thomas Tuchel.