Bayer Leverkusen made it to the round of 16 of the DFB Cup. The Champions League participant won 4:2 (1:1, 0:0) after extra time against second division club SC Paderborn. Coach Kasper Hjulmand’s team played in the majority for almost an hour after a red card for Paderborn’s Felix Götze.
Bayer needed a brilliant free kick from Álex Grimaldo to score the first goal. The Spaniard gave Paderborn’s keeper Markus Schubert no chance to defend after just over an hour. The free kick was caused by Götze’s emergency brake, for which he was sent off. Stefano Marino headed the hosts into extra time in stoppage time.
Late decision in extra time
In extra time, after Sven Michels made it 2-1, it looked like a surprise for the ten Paderborn players (96th). However, Leverkusen managed to equalize through Jarell Quansah (105.+1). In stoppage time, Ibrahim Maza (120+2) and Aleix Garcia (120+4) made the late decision.
Stuttgart defeated Mainz as they did in the Bundesliga
VfB Stuttgart also reached the round of 16 in the DFB Cup and can continue to dream of defending their title. The Swabians won their second round match with Bundesliga rivals FSV Mainz 05 2-0 (1-0) and beat Mainz again in the league after a narrow 2-1 win three days ago.
VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß changed almost his entire starting lineup compared to the league game. Only Deniz Undav remained in the first eleven because Tiago Tomas injured his thigh during the warm-up. Luca Jaquez with a powerful header (6th minute) and Atakan Karazor (73rd) scored the goals in VfB’s well-deserved victory.
Cup winners from 1996 in the round of 16
1. FC Kaiserslautern won 1-0 (1-0) in the second division duel against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. The Finn Naatan Skyttä (12th) scored the winning goal for the 1996 cup winners and the 2024 finalists. The Palatinate team missed an early decision in their numerous counterattacks. Fürth’s Omar Sillah, who came on shortly before the end, was shown a yellow-red card after two quick fouls (90.+4).
For the regional league team FV Illertissen, however, the cup fairytale is over. After the surprising coup against 1. FC Nürnberg in round one, 1. FC Magdeburg was a number too big for the only remaining amateur club with a score of 0:3 (0:2). Maximilian Breunig (11th), Marcus Mathisen (31st), who was there after Breunig missed a penalty, and Noah Pesch (84th) were successful for the guests.