Third division soccer team Waldhof Mannheim has thrown the favored second division team Holstein Kiel out of the competition in a cup thriller.
Fridolin Wagner confidently converted the decisive penalty and brought the Mannheimers 5:3 (penalty) into the second round of the DFB Cup. Kiel’s Marvin Schulz had previously shot over the goal. It was 0-0 after 120 minutes. Kiel, still a semi-finalist in the 2020/21 season, failed in the first round for the first time since 2015.
Intensive initial phase between Mannheim and Kiel
Both teams came into the game energetically and created good chances to score after a few minutes. Kiel’s Benedikt Pichler failed with his low shot by Mannheim’s keeper Morten Behrens (3rd minute). The attempts by Mannheim’s Baris Ekincier (5th) and Dominik Martinovic (15th) were too unplaced.
Waldhofs Seegert with a spectacular rescue before the break
After half an hour, the game in Mannheim’s Carl Benz Stadium flattened out. With temperatures high, both teams seemed to need a breather. Five minutes before halftime they turned it up again. First Ekincier, one of the most active Mannheimers, shot after a feint, then Kiel’s Julian Korb just missed the lead. Waldhof captain Marcel Seegert threw himself into Korb’s shot at the last second, prevented the goal and hit the post. He was able to continue playing after treatment. Halftime went without a goal.
Kiel more dominant in the second half, Mannheim’s offside goal
Kiel started the second half more dangerously. Pichler took a shot from about 18 meters with his left and missed the goal by almost a meter (48th). However, the game did not reach the pace of the initial phase. Numerous small interruptions prevented it from picking up speed. Kiel had more ball possession, Mannheim lurked for counterattack chances. The hosts made it 1-0 after about an hour, but Stefano Russo was ruled offside and his header didn’t count.
Balanced cup fight goes into overtime
The goal that was not given woke up the Mannheimers, who had more of the game from then on. 20 minutes before the end, however, they had to thank their captain again. Seegert threw himself into a shot again, this time from Alexander Mühling, and thus prevented – as in the first round – a deficit. It went into extra time, in which Kiel had the better chances, but could not convert any.
