Berlin (AP) – Bayern are already out anyway – and now Borussia Dortmund too. BVB failed in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup, in contrast to Dortmund conquerors FC St. Pauli, Hamburger SV, Karlsruher SC and VfL Bochum.
Of the other four games, the explosive Berlin city derby between Hertha BSC and Union is the focus today.
Slipped:
This is how a cup thriller works – with a bitter end for 1. FC Köln. Thanks to Anthony Modeste, the Bundesliga club saved themselves against Hamburger SV practically in the last second of extra time by taking penalties. And this was decided because Florian Kainz illegally touched the ball twice when he shot. “It’s very bitter that we didn’t reward ourselves,” said Kainz after the 3: 4 penalty shootout on pay TV channel Sky. “The referee told me straight away that it had been checked. Of course I feel very sorry for the team.” It is “a difficult story for him, but I will be able to deal with it”.
Lost:
The players of the third division TSV 1860 Munich were of course disappointed. An open game had developed for a long time against the second division club Karlsruher SC. Marvin Wanitzek scored the decisive goal for the 1-0 victory for the guests in the 69th minute with a hand penalty. “I’m disappointed. I think we were equal,” said 1860 coach Michael Köllner. An important factor was missing from his team: “The spectators were missing a bit.” The KSC was looking forward to the quarterfinals. “In the second half you could see who wanted to win here,” said goal scorer Wanitzek.
Out:
For the first time since the 2006/07 season, the quarter-finals will be played without Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. “The disappointment is huge, we can’t defend the title,” said Dortmund coach Marco Rose after the 2-1 draw at second division leaders FC St. Pauli. “The way we accepted the game, it wasn’t a cup game.” Erling Haaland went into the cabin after the final whistle. “It’s bitter to be eliminated as a top favourite,” said Marco Reus. With six points behind Bayern, BVB’s chances of winning the title in the league are limited. The Europa League remains.
art shooter:
Against 1899 Hoffenheim Milos Pantovic scored from his own half, against SC Freiburg almost from the middle line. Now the Serb put a lob in the style of Lionel Messi in the 3-1 win over FSV Mainz 05 in the cup. Pantovic showed no nerves from the point either. “It’s just important that we make ends meet. In the end, it doesn’t matter who scores the goals,” Pantovic said modestly. With the fans, however, he has long been the crowd favorite. After reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in six years, VfL is now dreaming of more.
Derby:
The prestigious Berlin derby on Wednesday (8.45 p.m.) is also in focus because of the different starting positions. 1. FC Union Berlin is in the Bundesliga in a European Cup place, Hertha BSC has to fight against relegation. For coach Tayfun Korkut, Hertha is still number one in Berlin. “I think Union has been doing very, very well in recent years. That’s a fact, you can see that too. Despite all that, if you look at the history that Hertha sees, then you also know who’s number one is in town,” said Korkut. In the last league derby in November, the Irons were superior in their 2-0 win.
Chance:
For RB Leipzig, the DFB Cup is probably the only realistic chance for the title this season. Accordingly, RB coach Domenico Tedesco wants to concentrate on the task against second division FC Hansa Rostock in the evening (6.30 p.m.). Despite the class difference, the game will not be a sure-fire success for the coach. “Hansa does a lot of things really well,” said the 36-year-old. “You are not to be underestimated.” Even if Hansa trainer Jens Härtel, who also has an RB past as a youth trainer and comes from Leipzig, operates understatement and only issued the class whereabouts as the top goal of the season, Hansa will not give the game away voluntarily.
Back and forth:
Borussia Mönchengladbach is somehow still in the identification phase. In the Bundesliga last weekend there was a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Leverkusen. But in the cup, things went well this season. In the second round, Gladbach defeated FC Bayern 5-0. The round of 16 opponents on Wednesday (6.30 p.m.), second division side Hannover 96, have a much smaller name. “We have the big goal of coming to Berlin,” said coach Adi Hütter before the game in Hanover. “You can dream, it’s not forbidden.”
Neighbours:
In the Baden-Württemberg duel in the evening (8.45 p.m.), both surprise clubs of this year’s Bundesliga season want to keep their chance of reaching the final in Berlin. As the home team, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are the slight favorites in the game against SC Freiburg. “We want to progress and really do something in the cup. We want more. TSG didn’t have that before,” said TSG coach Sebastian Hoeneß.
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