After a brace against HSV
Yussuf Poulsen and the DFB Cup just seem to fit. The attacker from RB Leipzig was in the second round in the 4-0 win over Hamburger SV for the first time in over six months and scored twice right away. “Cup evenings are always special, I always look forward to them. And when it ends like that, it’s all the better,” said the 28-year-old after the final whistle. Poulsen scored his eleventh and twelfth goals in the competition, along with 14 assists, making him the best cup scorer in Leipzig club history. In addition, he belongs to a select circle with a view to the cup history.
Poulsen has scored at least one goal in six out of ten cup seasons since arriving in Leipzig in 2013, five in the 2020/21 season alone, just missing out on the title of top scorer. “I just feel better in the evening,” the striker said jokingly about his cup record. In the history of the competition, after his appearance against HSV, he has now moved into the top 25 best scorers, level with former Bremen player Frank Neubarth and just behind Michael Rummenigge and Stefan Kuntz with 27 goals each. Among the professionals still active in Germany, only Dortmund’s Marco Reus and Bayern’s Thomas Müller are ahead of Poulsen with 33 and 57 scorers respectively.
Pieringer leads 2022/23: The top scorers in the DFB Cup since 2000
Due to injury, the Dane only made short appearances in six of 15 possible games before the cup game. The fact that he was part of the starting line-up on Tuesday evening had to do with the failures of Timo Werner and Christopher Nkunku. Should the duo be fit again for the duel with FC Augsburg next Saturday (3.30 p.m.), it should be difficult for Poulsen to start again. Coach Marco Rose emphasized that the attacker presented himself “impressively”. “He’s been injured for a long time and he needs training and playing time to get the engine going. It’s nice for a coach to see that we have a lot of guys who can score goals,” said the 46-year-old.
“Those who are in the best mood will play. The others get 20 to 30 minutes. We have so many games that freshness will be the most important thing,” explained Poulsen, who has to wait until the end of January 2023 for the next cup evening, when the round of 16 is due. The draw for the next round will take place on Sunday at 7.15 p.m. in the “Sportschau”.
To home page