German Cup clash suspended by ultras as club post incredible picture and say ‘you can see why’

A GERMAN Cup quarter-final was halted after an incredible wall of smoke from ultras left the pitch INVISIBLE from the stands.

Koln posted a photo of the extreme scene from their tie at Bayer Leverkusen and added: “The game has just been interrupted. You can see why.”

The match went on to end just as dramatically because Leverkusen fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 after extra time.

But the bizarre problems at the start will remain just as bright – or dim – in the memory.

Players warmed up in ominous conditions – with a blanket of smoke already descending across the pitch.

And after just 13 minutes of action referee Frank Willenborg bowed to the inevitable by suspending play.

The smoke was so thick by then that many spectators could not even see the pitch.

One fan said: “Everything is shrouded in thick fog” – which looked an understatement. 

And another observer blamed pyrotechnics from offending supporters as he blasted their “totally stupid” behaviour.

A third supporter reckoned the game “should be cancelled” due to the offenders.

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Play eventually resumed – with Damion Downs then slotting the opener for Koln TEN MINUTES into the 11 minutes of first-half stoppage time.

That left the visitors dreaming of a major upset.

Koln are two points clear of Hamburg in the German second tier.

But Leverkusen are behind only Bayern Munich in the top tier, having won the Bundesliga for the first time ever last season.

So when Linton Main doubled Koln’s lead early in the second period a noticeable shock looked on.

This time USA Under-23 striker Downs was the supplier following a swift counter-attack.

But Patrik Schick halved Leverkusen’s deficit from an acute angle just past the hour mark.

And Jeremie Frimpong teed up Schick six minutes into time added on to take the tie into an extra half-hour.

Victor Boniface then fired Leverkusen’s winner.

But even after that Koln frontman Imad Rondic hit a 110th-minute equaliser that VAR ruled out.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk