Cup fight in Berlin
©IMAGO
Record winners Bayern Munich mastered the tricky task at Union Berlin with the help of three standard goals and are in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup. Coach Vincent Kompany’s team won the round of 16 at the An der Alten Försterei stadium with a lot of effort 3:2 (3:1) and can continue to hope for their first cup triumph since 2020.
In a strange game, the 22,012 fans also saw two penalties and own goals each. Last year, the Munich team failed in the cup round of 16 against Bayer Leverkusen. A week after their first defeat of the season against Arsenal, Bayern remain unbeaten in domestic competitions.
The guests, whose defensive vulnerability at set pieces has increased recently, scored three times from dead balls in the first half. Between Berlin’s own goals from Ilyas Ansah (12th minute) and Diogo Leite (45th + 4th), star striker Harry Kane scored a goal (24th). Leopold Querfeld ensured Berlin’s connection twice with a hand penalty (40th) and a foul penalty (55th). Union pushed in vain in the final phase.
The Berliners still have to wait for a win against Munich after 14 games. For FCU it is the next setback after the last-minute defeat against Heidenheim at the weekend. As in the Bundesliga duel three and a half weeks ago (2:2), coach Steffen Baumgart’s team was able to pose problems for the record champions.
At Bayern, Kompany brought offensive player Michael Olise and central defender Dayot Upamecano back into the starting line-up after the difficult win against St. Pauli. “The game a month ago showed that we don’t need to warn anyone,” emphasized Bayern’s sports director Max Eberl on “ZDF” before the game. At the beginning, Baumgart relied on almost the same professionals who had made life so difficult for the Munich team in the game at the beginning of November. Only attacker Oliver Burke had to pass. “I hope that we can put up a similar fight as we did in the 2-2 draw – and then with a positive result,” said the coach.
It took Bayern more than half an hour to get their first shot on goal in their last meeting. This time, Olise tested Union keeper Frederik Rönnow with an attempt after just over 30 seconds. The Berliners disrupted again early and aggressively. This gave them a good opportunity for Ansah (10th). Shortly afterwards, the 21-year-old was very unlucky when a corner from Joshua Kimmich slipped past all the other players and bounced off Ansah’s thigh into his own net. Bayern’s vulnerability to defensive standards has been an issue recently. “We have to solve it and win our duels. We know what to expect. We know that Union has strengths there,” said Eberl.
Above all, the record champions gave the answer themselves at the other end, because the 2-0 also came after a corner. Kane headed under the crossbar. FCB took more and more control. But after Kane’s goal was disallowed for offside, referee Martin Petersen went to the screen, but punished a handball by Jonathan Tah in the Munich penalty area that had already happened a while back. Querfeld briefly brought Union back into the game.
Leite narrowly missed the equalizer with his header – of course after a set piece (45th + 2). Shortly afterwards, the Portuguese extended another Bayern free kick into his own net. “It’s the game of standards and Bayern are fighting back,” said former world champion Per Mertesacker during the break.
Shortly after the break, Aleksandar Pavlovic was injured and was replaced by national player Leon Goretzka. Union came close again through the field after Kane brought down opponent Leite, allowing the home team a second penalty. Both Kane (62′) and Leite (71′) later had chances to score more goals in a lively back and forth. A goal from Luis Díaz was called back for offside. Bayern faltered, but Union were unable to score their third goal.
Penalty thriller: Holstein Kiel throws HSV out of the DFB Cup
In the midst of the sporting decline, second division club Holstein Kiel annoyed Hamburger SV and made the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup perfect after a penalty thriller. In the northern duel, KSV defeated the Bundesliga side, which had been disappointing for a long time, 4-2 on penalties. The score was 0-0 after regular time and 1-1 after extra time.
The hosts offered the spectators at home a spectacle late on and botched the dress rehearsal before the northern derby in the Bundesliga on Sunday against Werder Bremen. The Hamburg fans also had to bury their hopes of a cup duel against city rivals FC St. Pauli – they had reached the round of the remaining eight teams the day before.
57,000 spectators in the sold-out Volksparkstadion experienced exciting final minutes. Eight minutes after his substitution, returnee, joker and club idol Bakery Jatta (107th) scored the supposed winning goal. But a remarkable free-kick goal from Phil Harres (118th) destroyed the story with the longest-serving professional Jatta – with the club since 2016 – as a cup hero. Harres also scored the decisive goal in the penalty shootout.
The pairing was Bundesliga promoted against the currently struggling Bundesliga relegated team: But the sporting discrepancy was not noticeable for a long time. But the Hamburg team around ex-Kiel resident Nicolai Remberg had a hard time. The guests created better chances and deserved to take the lead in the first half.
After a misunderstanding between HSV defenders Guilherme Ramos and Jordan Torunarigha, KSV offensive professional Adrian Kapralik ran towards the goal after about 15 minutes, but his shot attempt went wide. The guests became dangerous again when Kapralik brought a clever pass behind the HSV defensive line and Harres was denied by HSV goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. Shortly before the break, the Slovakian Kapralik caused danger again when he headed over the goal from close range without being threatened and gave away the lead.
The people of Kiel seemed unimpressed by the class difference. They also like the Volksparkstadion: the approximately 6,000 supporters who traveled with them will probably remember the previous six second division games in the arena, in which they did not suffer a defeat in the Hanseatic city. Immediately after the restart, Kapralik took on the shaky HSV defense again, but his shot (50th) missed the goal again. A little later it was the host’s turn again. Rayan Philippe received a sharp cross in the penalty area, but his attempt flew over the Kiel goal. Then the Portuguese Fabio Vieira tried, but visiting goalkeeper Timon Weiner parried his shot.
The final phase was tough: defender Giorgi Gocholeishvili shot at the post after almost 80 minutes. On the other side, HSV goalkeeper Peretz prevented the goal from being conceded with strong defense. The game didn’t change significantly in extra time. Shortly before the end of the first half there was a bit of commotion in the Kiel penalty area, Vieira was the quickest, but goalkeeper Weiner once again won the personal duel. It only took 107 minutes before Jatta, who was actually sorted out and was surprisingly part of the squad, relieved the HSV fans – supposedly – after a sharp cross from Muheim. But then Harres brought Kiel into a penalty shootout. And converted the last penalty.