Claus-Dieter Wollitz, trainer at Energie Cottbus (archive photo) Photo: dpa
From BZ/dpa
FC Energie Cottbus got the chance to win the eleventh Brandenburg Soccer Cup. In the regional league duel, the defending champions defeated FC Babelsberg 03, who had also won the ten-time state cup, 2-1 (0-1) in the round of 16. In front of 5,628 spectators in the Stadion der Hoffnung, Maximilian Oesterhelweg turned the game in the hosts’ favor with his goals in the 52nd and 82nd minutes.
Energie captain Axel Borgmann gave the guests the lead in the fifth minute with an own goal and pushed the ball past Cottbus goalkeeper Elias Bethke from around 20 meters. The early deficit shocked the team of energy coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz only briefly. The current third in the table took the initiative against the fifth and missed a few opportunities to equalize in the first half.
This followed seven minutes after the restart when Oesterhelweg closed a confusing situation in the Babelsberg penalty area with a powerful shot from around ten meters. The 32-year-old then struck the ball from 16 meters eight minutes before regular time.
Two minutes later, Babelsberg weakened himself after a foul by Dahoud Iraqi on the halfway line. The guests could no longer press for equalization when they were outnumbered, but there was still a chance in the last minute of added time, but Bethke saved the victory with a brilliant act.