News (engl.)

VSG Altglienicke came agonisingly close to producing another major first-round upset for a fourth-tier side. The Berlin club led VfL Wolfsburg three times before eventually losing 6-5 on penalties after a 3-3 draw following extra time. Third-tier club Würzburger Kickers also threatened an upset against 1. FC Köln, but were beaten 2-1 after leading at half time. Hamburger SV, meanwhile, overcame a slow start to win 3-0 away to 3. Liga side SC Verl. In Monday’s late kick-off, FC Schalke 04 required extra time to progress against fourth-tier outfit Hallescher FC. The hosts equalised late on to take the game to overtime but eventually lost 5-2 to the Bundesliga side.

Altglienicke push Wolfsburg all the way

Fourth-tier side VSG Altglienicke came agonisingly close to a major upset against VfL Wolfsburg. Jonas Nietfeld put the Berlin side ahead after just six minutes before captain Maximilian Arnold levelled for Wolfsburg early in the second half (55’). Altglienicke regained the lead through Jonas Saliger (71’), but Arnold struck again with a free kick to make it 2-2 (83’).

Mehmet Ibrahimi restored Altglienicke’s advantage in extra time (109’), only for Hauke Wahl to equalise six minutes from the end (117’). The underdogs then had a chance to win the shootout after Fabian Reese missed, but Sven Sonnenberg was unable to convert. Ibrahimi later missed Altglienicke’s seventh penalty before Kilian Fischer sealed a 6-5 shootout win for Wolfsburg.

Johannesson turns it around for Köln

Würzburger Kickers threatened another upset after David Abrangao gave the third-tier side the lead against 1. FC Köln (18’). The hosts defended resolutely from there, while Köln struggled to make their pressure count before half time.

Isak Johannesson finally brought Köln level after the break (62’) and then completed the turnaround with his second of the game (77’). Würzburg kept pushing for an equaliser, but Köln held on for a 2-1 win and a place in round two.

Grönbaek double sends HSV through

SC Verl made the brighter start against Hamburger SV and created the better chances during the opening half-hour, but HSV improved as the first half went on. Albert Grönbaek punished a mistake in the hosts’ build-up play to give Hamburg the lead shortly before the break (41’).

Grönbaek struck again just 40 seconds after the restart (46’), before 16-year-old Germany U17 international Louis Lemke made it 3-0 four minutes later on his competitive debut (50’). Verl continued to look for a consolation, but HSV saw out the win comfortably.

Schalke need extra time to see off Halle

Schalke dominated much of the first half but created little, with Moussa Sylla shooting straight at Halle goalkeeper Luca Bendel from their best chance (36’). The fourth-tier hosts defended compactly and were rewarded just before the break when Vin Kastull put them ahead from a corner (45’). Schalke stepped up the pressure after the restart and Dejan Ljubicic eventually equalised (62’), before Edin Džeko converted a penalty to turn the game around (81’). Halle were not done, however, and Niclas Stierlin struck in added time to force extra time (90’+1).

Schalke then made their quality tell. Moussa Sylla restored their lead (98’), Junior Adamu added a fourth shortly before the end of the first period of extra time (105’+1) and Džeko completed the 5-2 win with his second of the night (117’).