FC Bayern Munich wins its second round game in the DFB Cup, but is noticeably annoyed by FC Augsburg. Bottom of the second division, Bielefeld experienced humiliation in Stuttgart, while Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin progressed confidently. This also applies to Fortuna Dusseldorf.
VfB Stuttgart – Arminia Bielefeld 6: 0 (4: 0)
A convincing and goal-hungry VfB Stuttgart remains clearly on the road to success with interim coach Michael Wimmer. The Swabians reached the round of 16 of the DFB Cup with an easy 6:0 (4:0) against the overwhelmed bottom of the second division Arminia Bielefeld. After the dismissal of Pellegrino Matarazzo after the 4-1 win against Bochum, VfB also won the second game with the previous assistant Wimmer in charge.
Pascal Stenzel gave the three-time cup winner the lead in the 20th minute during his walk in front of 24,500 spectators. Wataru Endo (24′), Luca Pfeiffer (29′) and Silas (40′) made things clear before the break against the frighteningly weak Bundesliga relegated team, who are still deep in the crisis. Pfeiffer (52nd) and Serhou Guirassy (67th) followed up.
VfB now want to continue their upward trend with renewed self-confidence in the difficult away game at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. It is questionable whether there will be a decision on the coaching question by then. The Dane Jess Thorup (currently without a club) and the former Hoffenheim coach Alfred Schreuder (Ajax Amsterdam) are traded as candidates. Bielefeld can fully concentrate on the relegation battle in the 2nd division after his heaviest cup defeat to date.
Wimmer made six changes to the starting XI after beating Bochum. VfB, who defeated Dynamo Dresden (1-0) in the first round, initially struggled a bit. But Stuttgart took the initiative and was quickly rewarded. Stenzel flicked the ball into the goal after a poorly defended corner kick by Arminia. He caught Bielefeld’s keeper Martin Fraisl on the wrong foot. Even at 0:2, the Bielefeld defense didn’t look good when Endo was completely free to head the ball. When Pfeiffer added, the game was quickly decided. For the enthusiastic VfB, it was then a show run. Stuttgart was also able to save energy for the game at BVB.
1. FC Union Berlin – 1. FC Heidenheim 2-0 (1-0)
Union Berlin’s high-flyers can continue to dream of winning the cup in their own city. The surprising leaders of the Bundesliga won 2-0 (1-0) against the second division team 1. FC Heidenheim and made it through to the round of 16 without any problems. Coach Urs Fischer’s team has now been unbeaten in five competitive games. Tymoteusz Puchacz (7th) and Sven Michel (52nd) shot Union into the round of the top 16, which is scheduled for January 31st and February 1st and February 7th and 8th, 2023. The final follows on June 3rd in the Olympic Stadium – the home of city rivals Hertha BSC. In the past season, the Berliners had advanced to the semi-finals, but were eliminated there by the eventual winner RB Leipzig.
It should be different this time. “If you take part in the cup, you want to go to the final,” Fischer said before the game, for which he switched to five positions compared to the 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. Among other things, substitute goalkeeper Lennart Grill got his chance, and Michel stormed in for the injured Jordan Siebatcheu (Horse Kiss) from the start. And Union immediately put the pressure on. While Heidenheim was almost completely in their own half, the hosts let the ball run smoothly until a gap opened up. Sheraldo Becker broke through on the right and crossed in first class, where left-back Puchacz smashed the ball into the goal at the far post.
Union dominated and allowed the guests little in the first round – except for a long-range shot by Andreas Geipl (15th), which Grill easily parried with his fists. Union defender Diogo Leite (31 ‘) could have increased after a Puchacz corner, but failed at Heidenheim’s goalkeeper Vitus Eicher.
After the break, Union immediately became a fire hazard again. Andras Schäfer sent Becker deep, but Eicher saved his shot in a one-on-one. The second hit was now in the air. First Michel (49th) aimed too high before he headed a cross from Puchacz softly over Eicher, who had rushed out. Even after that, the FCH keeper had to save against Becker (55th) and Robin Knoche (59th) in dire need.
Jahn Regensburg – Fortuna Düsseldorf 0:3 (0:3)
Fortuna Düsseldorf has easily reached the round of 16. The cup winners from 1979 and 1980 won the second division duel at Jahn Regensburg deservedly 3-0 (3-0) and survived the second round after a dry few years. Regensburg knocked out Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln on penalties in the first round.
This time, however, SSV Jahn had almost no chance. Kristoffer Peterson (5th), Dawid Kownacki (16th) and Emmanuel Iyoha (45th 1) decided the game in the first half for the mercilessly efficient Fortuna, who had defeated den Jahn 4-0 in the league at home.
In a strong five minutes before the break, Regensburg had several good opportunities to make it 1-2 – but all of them went unused. Instead, the visitors struck for the third time, Iyoha scoring after a back-heel from the outstanding Kownacki. The rest was results management.
FC Augsburg – FC Bayern Munich 2:5 (1:1)
Thanks to the new goalkeeper Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Bayern Munich has averted its second-round cup curse and, after two surprisingly early bankruptcies, is once again in the round of 16. The outstanding striker Choupo-Moting almost single-handedly converted a 0-1 deficit at FC Augsburg into a deserved 5-2 (1-1) with two goals and an assist. The record cup winner can continue his treble hunt after the World Cup break. As in the past two years in Kiel and Mönchengladbach, Bayern’s embarrassment was in the air – but only for half an hour. Mads Pedersen (9th) punished the initially jittery and disembodied Munich, the brave FCA dreamed of the first cup coup against Bayern in over 79 years.
Appearance: Choupo Moting. The ice-cold 33-year-old scored from a tight angle to equalize (27′), set Joshua Kimmich (52′) for the second Munich goal and finally dusted it off to make it 3-1 (59′). An own goal by Dayot Upamecano (65′) added tension before Jamal Musiala (74′) and Alphonso Davies (90′) struck. A sorely needed increase, because Alphonso Davies, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich lost their duels before taking the lead. Pedersen defeated Bayern substitute keeper Sven Ulreich, who was playing for Manuel Neuer (shoulder), with a low shot.
Only now did the guests wake up and check Gikiewicz representative Tomas Koubek. The Czech was on hand against Jamal Musiala (16’/24′) and Davies (20′). But when Choupo-Moting fired from an apparently impossible position, as in his strong performance against Freiburg, he wrongly speculated on a cross pass – equalizer. Shortly thereafter, the goalkeeper prevented the 1:2 against Sadio Mané (29th). Augsburg lagged behind a lot in this phase and could hardly break free from the Munich stranglehold.
FCA defender Robert Gumny also had to leave injured at the break, and Bayern, like Serge Gnabry, shot into the crossbar (47th) continued to usury chances – until Kimmich hit a powerful one. Before the 1:3, Maximilian Bauer shot Iago in the penalty area, Choupo-Moting was there again. For the striker it was goals seven and eight in the fourth cup game for Munich.
