Preußen Münster loses to Hertha BSC in a penalty shootout. Mainz 05 and Fortuna Düsseldorf did not put in stellar performances, but still advanced to the second round.
Second division side Hertha BSC got off to a lucky start in their never-ending quest to reach the DFB Cup final. The Berliners prevailed in the first round despite a largely disappointing performance against league rivals Preußen Münster, winning 5-3 on penalties. Goalkeeper Tjark Ernst had previously saved his team from an early exit with several brilliant saves. After 120 minutes, the score was 0-0.
Sebastian Grönning converted the decisive penalty. Babis Makridis was the only Preußen player to miss. The ambitious capital city club thus got off to a successful start in their eternal quest to play the final in their own stadium. Münster, like Berlin with only one point from two games in the league, were largely superior but failed to reward themselves for their efforts.
In regular time, Preußen repeatedly failed to get past the strong Ernst, who had become European runner-up with the German U21 team a few months ago as a substitute. Hertha remained harmless for a long time, with Dawid Kownacki missing the best chance shortly before the end when he was left unmarked from a few meters out (89). In extra time, both teams avoided taking risks, with Fabian Reese failing to convert the only big chance in the 120th minute against Münster keeper Johannes Schenk.
Amiri’s free kick goal is enough: Mainz beats Dresden
Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05 has completed its task in the DFB Cup and gained momentum for its busy schedule. Three days before the first leg of the Conference League play-off against Rosenborg Trondheim in Norway, coach Bo Henriksen’s team won 1-0 (1-0) in the first round against second division newcomers Dynamo Dresden. National player Nadiem Amiri scored the winning goal with a magnificent free kick in the 22nd minute. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of training. I watch a lot of free kicks during the week,” said Amiri, already looking forward to Thursday: “Enough talk. We all want to play internationally.”
Dresden’s Jakob Lemmer missed a penalty kick against Robin Zentner (65th minute), who thus prevented a possible extra time. After a poor start to the league season, the Saxons have now lost their third competitive game of the season. The 05ers would have liked to have played the cup game at the weekend, but both their request for a postponement and their appeal to the DFB’s federal court were rejected – much to the incomprehension of FSV sporting director Christian Heidel. “What happened is a farce in my opinion,” said the 62-year-old before kick-off on Sky, sharply criticizing those responsible at the DFB: “A few gentlemen have simply been sleeping very, very deeply.”
Mainz also looked completely out of it at the start of their mammoth program of five games in 14 days, with striker Nelson Weiper not in the squad due to transfer discussions. Zentner (3rd) and Dominik Kohr (6th) made two last-ditch saves, with SGD striker Nils Fröling in particular missing several good chances for the underdogs.
But then Amiri broke the deadlock with a free kick from 25 meters. The visitors improved after that and could have added two more goals through Paul Nebel (33rd/41st). The second half was evenly matched, with Lemmer missing the best chance to equalize with a weak penalty after Ben Bobzien handled the ball. Henriksen was shown a red card in the hectic final stages for delaying the game outside his coaching zone and was sent to the stands (87).
Düsseldorf wins after falling behind
Fortuna Düsseldorf has struggled to advance to the second round of the DFB Cup. The second division soccer team, which reached the semifinals in the 2023/24 season, overcame a difficult start to win 4-2 (0-1) against third division newcomers 1. FC Schweinfurt and recorded their first competitive victory of the new season. The team, coached by Daniel Thioune, had lost its first two league games.Shinta Appelkamp (66th minute) and new signings Cedric Itten (68th minute) and Florent Muslija (72nd minute) scored within six minutes for Fortuna, allowing Thioune, who was already under pressure, to breathe a sigh of relief for now. The underdogs, who like Düsseldorf are bottom of their league without any points, took the lead through Manuel Wintzheimer (44th minute, handball penalty). Erik Shuranov (83rd minute) made the game exciting again, but Appelkamp (86th minute) sealed the final score. Last year, Düsseldorf were knocked out in the first round by Dynamo Dresden, who were then in the third division (0-2).
Düsseldorf started nervously but grew into the game. Just as they were on the verge of taking the lead, Fortuna fell behind. In a rare counterattack by Schweinfurt, Moritz Heyer handled the ball in the penalty area after a cross, and Wintzheimer kept his cool from the spot. After the break, Thioune’s team increased the pressure. Appelkamp equalized with a fine curling shot, and just two minutes later, new striker Itten pounced to give his side the lead after Schweinfurt goalkeeper Maximilian Weisbäcker could only parry a long-range shot forward. Muslija added another. Shuranov brought the third-division side back into the game, but Appelkamp dispelled any doubts.