Bayer Leverkusen wins in the last second in Paderborn

Incredible drama in the DFB Cup

Leverkusen escaped embarrassment at the very last second

Bayer Leverkusen won the cup thriller in Paderborn. In the meantime, everything looked like an embarrassment for the second division club.

What a wild DFB Cup game on Wednesday evening in Paderborn: Bayer Leverkusen defeated the second division team at the very last second and thus reached the round of 16 of the competition. At the end of extra time it was 4:2 for the “Werkself”. Ibrahim Maza and Aleix García only saved the 2024 cup winners in stoppage time.

After 90 minutes the score was 1-1. Paderborn, who had to play outnumbered from the 58th minute onwards due to a red card for Felix Götze, brother of world champion Mario Götze, equalized shortly before the end. In extra time, the decimated home team turned the game around and actually dreamed of progressing. But then Leverkusen forced the expected victory.

The outsider started boldly and immediately sought the way forward; there was no discernible class difference. On the contrary: Paderborn set the first course. Götze headed a cross from Mika Baur just over the goal (11th), Lucas Copado also shot too high (14th). Baur himself narrowly missed the target from a distance (18th), Götze went over it again later (34th).

The home team clearly believed in their chance and became more and more courageous. Bayer had a hard time building up, often only the back pass remained. It wasn’t until the 36th minute that the Werkself finished for the first time – after a bad pass from keeper Markus Schubert, who had come into the starting line-up for Dennis Seimen, Jonas Hofmann volleyed the ball over the goal. Raphael Obermaier (40th) forgave the strong host a little too hastily.

Even after the break, Leverkusen initially lacked any brilliant ideas. But in contrast to the first half, there was now more danger: Robert Andrich tried a long-range shot (51′), Christian Kofane, who had just been substituted, shot over the goal after a corner from behind (52′) and a little later slipped with the ball on his foot into goalkeeper Schubert (57′).

But then things got doubly bitter for the Paderborn team: Götze saw red after an emergency stop (58′) – he had pulled Ernest Poku’s jersey in front of the penalty area. Grimaldo converted the free kick from a central position over the wall from around 20 meters into the left corner (60th).

With one more man, Leverkusen clearly took control without taking any unnecessary risks. Paderborn held on and, cheered on by their own fans, kept looking for the way forward. Shortly before the end of the 90 minutes, things became unsportsmanlike: while trying to take a corner, goal scorer Grimaldo was hit by a cup from the stands.