🏆 Ten-man Bayer Leverkusen seal double with cup win over Kaiserslautern | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen have achieved an historic double as Xavi Alonso's ten-man side battled to a DFB-Pokal win over Kaiserslautern.

Scorers: Xhaka 17'

Bayer Leverkusen survived a few scares to defeat Kaiserslautern and achieve an historic league-and-cup double.

Any nerves from the comprehensive defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League final were immediately calmed for Leverkusen when Granit Xhaka unleashed a superb strike from well outside the box to put his side ahead early on.

The German champions were controlling the play and dominating possession, but just as the first half was coming to an end had defender Odilon Kossounou sent off for a second yellow.

Kaiserslautern almost capitalised on their numerical advantage when Tobias Raschl's low shot beat Lukas Hradecky but then went just wide of the post.

After the break, play was briefly halted when a barrage of smoke from fireworks in the Kaiserslautern end temporarily obscured the pitch in the Olympiastadion.

Only one goal behind and with an extra man, the underdogs battled for an equaliser, and the prolific Ragnar Ache made an excellent run and forced a one-handed save from Hradecky.

With 15 minutes to play, Leverkusen could've doubled their lead as Jeremie Frimpong got round 'keeper Julian Krahl but couldn't finish and instead fired the ball at a defender that had got back to cover.

That slim lead ultimately proved to be enough for Alonso and his side to lift their second trophy of the season.