VfB Stuttgart barely reached the cup round of 16 against Kaiserslautern. National player Führich becomes the savior. 1. FC Köln throws out a first division team, Jahn Regensburg pulls off a little surprise.
Despite the anger with referee Daniel Schlager, VfB Stuttgart is in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup thanks to national player Chris Führich. The runner-up had a difficult time in the 2-1 (1-1) draw against last year’s finalists 1. FC Kaiserslautern from the 2nd Bundesliga.
Although Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß changed his team to a total of nine positions compared to the weekend, the Swabians dominated the game and took the lead through Nick Woltemade (14th minute). After the guests were unlucky when Daisuke Yokota hit the post, they benefited a little later from a whistle from the referee, who mistakenly awarded a penalty. Boris Tomiak equalized (43′). It was thanks to Führich that Schlager’s misjudgment didn’t come to fruition. He decided the game in favor of the favorite (75th).
Given the exhausting European Cup weeks, Hoeneß rotated a lot. There was “no alternative” to the changes and, in his opinion, “no risk”. The coach said in the “Sky” interview before kick-off that he had confidence in his boys.
VfB seized control from kick-off in front of 60,000 spectators. Again and again it became dangerous on the flanks. Woltemade’s opening goal was also initiated by Pascal Stenzel on the right wing. Initially, Ermedin Demirovic was denied by FCK keeper Julian Krahl, but the ball found its way to the goalscorer via a detour. The newcomer from Werder Bremen had already scored in the 5-0 win against Preußen Münster in the first round.
FCK first unlucky, then lucky
The FCK dared a little more after almost half an hour and promptly came to a dangerous conclusion. Yokota hit the post and heralded the Palatinate team’s strongest phase.
Shortly before the break, the big exciting scene of the evening occurred. Fabian Rieder came too late against Marlon Ritter. Referee Schlager awarded a penalty, even though the foul occurred outside the penalty area. However, there was no support from the video referee in the second round of the cup, so the decision stood – to Hoeneß’s annoyance. But the coach’s complaints went unheard and Tomiak converted.
In the second half, Stuttgart continued to have significantly more of the game and FCK relied on the counterattack. FCK attacker Ache missed the first big opportunity (54′). Hoeneß felt that his team needed new impulses and brought in two top performers, Deniz Undav and Angelo Stiller, who boosted the offensive game. Just five minutes after the substitutions, Krahl had to intervene against Stiller and a free kick from Rieder hit the crossbar (72′). Führich, who had been hapless for a long time, saved the Swabians with a shot. VfB has come a lot closer to Hoeneß’ dream of winning the cup by advancing.
Bulic hits and sees red
In the duel between interim coaches, Andreas Patz and SSV Jahn Regensburg outplayed Leonhard Haas from Fürth. Four days after the 3:8 disaster at 1. FC Nürnberg in the 2nd Bundesliga and the subsequent separation from promotion coach Joe Enochs, Jahn pulled out a 1-0 (0-0) win against SpVgg Greuther Fürth, which ended up being outnumbered into the round of 16. For the previous assistant coach Patz, it was a perfect debut as boss on the sidelines.
A bonus of over 800,000 euros sweetened Jahn’s first victory since August. Defender Rasim Bulic took care of this in front of 11,627 spectators in Regensburg’s Jahnstadion. When the ball fell at his feet in the penalty area following a free kick in the 59th minute, Bulic scored with his left. Fürth’s goalkeeper Nahuel Noll didn’t cut a good figure.
Just four minutes later, Bulic, who was over-motivated after his goal, was shown a red card for a serious foul on Fürth’s Niko Gießelmann deep in the opponent’s half. Outnumbered, his colleagues self-sacrificingly defended the 1-0 lead in the Regensburg fog.
Cologne defeats Kiel
The Bundesliga promoted Holstein Kiel, still without a win in the league, also failed early in the DFB Cup and once again gave the struggling second division team 1. FC Köln a sense of success. After winning 3-0 (1-0) in the second cup round against the North Germans, the relegated team is back in the cup round of 16 for the first time in three years. Thanks to the goals from Tim Lemperle (8th minute) and substitute Luca Waldschmidt (84th/90th+7), coach Gerhard Struber also has a little more peace again.
For the people of Kiel, the so far bitter season continues. Coach Marcel Rapp’s team urgently needs a win on Saturday in the league against 1. FC Heidenheim. FC can take another step out of the crisis on Saturday evening at Hertha BSC.
rc/dpa
