DFB Cup, 1st round
Next surprise – Bielefeld beats ten Bremen
Updated on August 15th, 2025 – 10:54 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Arminia Bielefeld did it again and ensured a cup miracle. Sufferer as last season: a club from the Bundesliga.
Arminia Bielefeld and the DFB Cup-they seem to belong together. After the cup final last season (2: 4 defeat against Stuttgart) and the promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga, the Bielefelders continue to ride on the wave of success, win 1-0 in the first cup round against Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. The golden gate shot Isaiah Young in added time (90.+3).
The guests from Bremen had to play the majority of the second half in the first competitive game under new coach Horst Steffen after a yellow-red card against Leonardo Bittencourt (54.).
For Bielefeld it is already the third cup success against the Bremen – last season, the East Westphalia Bremen surprisingly thrown 2-1 out of the trophy as a third division club in the quarter -finals and later moved into the final. In 2015, Werder ended in the round of 16 on the Bielefeld Alm.
Both teams started at high speed in the expected intense duel. The guests had the first big chance. After passing by Justin Njinmah, Marco Grüll shot past the long corner from a pointed angle (14th). Shortly afterwards there was the first moment of terror for the home side: Tim Handwerker had to get off the pitch with problems on the thigh (20th).
With an ongoing playing time and flattening pace, Werder increasingly took command. After a cross from Patrice Covic, Felix Agu aimed over the goal (33rd). Bremen’s goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, who is probably faced with a move to Eintracht Frankfurt, remained largely unemployed. A free kick by Stefano Russo on the edge of the penalty area flew over his goal (39th).
Immediately after the restart, Zetterer clarified a flat cross from Joel Grodowski, who found no buyer in the penalty area. Then it got wild: Bremen’s Leonardo Bittencourt looked at Sam Schreck (52nd) after fouls and two minutes later on Marvin Mehlem yellow-red.
In the hectic phase, Arminias Julian Kania first shot out of the center line over the gate (55th), a little later his chopping trick ended up in the arms of Zetterer (57.). Bielefeld could be showered in the ranks of the heated mood and pushed forward. Another long -range shot from Kania went over the goal again (69th). On the other hand, Jonas Kersken parried against Grüll (82nd).
After the end of the regular season, the home side finally cheered: after a counterattack on the right over Benjamin Boakye, the substitute wing player put on the left side over on Young, who pushed in completely blank to the winning goal.