The prospects for one of these recently rare, so-called cup sensations were extremely poor in Babelsberg. During the week, the fourth division club SV Babelsberg 03 changed their coach, Predrag Uzelac was replaced on Tuesday by his assistant coach Jörg Buder. In other words: only four days before the visit of SpVgg Greuther Fürth, which will formalize its Bundesliga return next weekend.
And at first it actually looked as if there would be an off-the-peg cup game: The Fürth team took the lead with a penalty in the Karl Liebknecht Stadium and initially clearly dominated the game. But see: The Babelsberg team turned the game around, conceded the 2-2 equalizer five minutes before the end of regular time, survived the extra time – and then won 5-4 on penalties.
The fourth division team bowled the three class higher guests from the tournament, to the cheering of 3030 spectators, who danced under the flags with the likeness of Liebknecht Ska and celebrated a goalkeeper named Marco Flügel, who had won the penalty shootout against Branimir Hrgota and Max Bauer .
“I’m very disappointed,” said Fürth’s coach Stefan Leitl, “also because we wanted to start the season with a sense of achievement.” However, he is not afraid that the mood in the team will suffer because of this cup failure. “We have few players with us who have already played in the first division,” he explained, so “self-motivation and joy” are guaranteed. Apart from that, his team will play a different role in the Bundesliga than against Babelsberg, and that should also help to create “the really big sensation”, that is, staying up. “Maybe it will do us good if we don’t have to go into every game as favorites.”
The Fürth coach Stefan Leitl and his team will rarely be the favorites in the coming season.
(Photo: Soeren Stache / dpa)
Shortly after the start of the game at the table eighth of the Regionalliga Nordost, the people of Fürth were allowed to quarrel with the fact that no video referee was consulted in the first round of the cup. In the fourth minute, referee Robin Braun should have awarded the guests a goal, because a Babelsberg defender cleared a shot from Fürth’s attacker Jamie Leweling apparently just behind the line after a confusing scene in the six-yard area.
But the Fürthern came in the 22nd minute that no calibrated lines are drawn in this cup round. Leweling was probably offside when he presented the ball after a pass from Branimir Hrgota, then he fell over the Babelsberg goalkeeper Marco Flügel, who was lying on the ground – and was rewarded with a penalty. Hrgota sure turned to lead.
The Fürth team were the qualitatively better team, but Babelsberg had courage
A good fifteen minutes later, however, Gideon Jung, one of the few players with a lot of Bundesliga experience, made a big blunder. On the right side, the former HSV defender was outmaneuvered by Babelsberg’s Robin Müller. Müller matched Timo Schmidt, and this served Marcel Rausch, who shot against the direction of goalkeeper Marius Funk with great clarity and coldness to equalize in the meantime.
On the one hand, the result mocked the balance of power that had existed on the lawn up until then. The Fürth were the qualitatively better, dominating team. On the other hand: Babelsberg had nothing in common with faint-hearted teams despite a defensive style of play.
After the break, almost all events occurred in the Babelsberg half, including a goal (rightly denied due to offside) by Abdourahmane Barry (55th), who was substituted for the break, and a shot by Julian Green from a promising position. But the ball landed over the roof of the stands. When the fans of both camps agreed on other fights in the stands and said “Everyone! Together! Against fascism!” shouted, also because the Northeast German Football Association recently thought it had to ban a campaign against Nazi victims, the Babelsberg leadership fell.
The hosts could count on the help of the referee. To the justified annoyance, he ordered a free kick 23 meters in front of the Fürth goal, which Schmidt set artfully and with a lot of spin on the crossbar. The ball fell in the back of goalkeeper Funk and then spun down the line before Babelsberg’s central defender Marcus Hoffmann pushed it over the line to make it 2-1.
Trembling to the end: The team from Fürth misses too many chances and then fails on penalties.
(Photo: Wolfgang Zink / Imago)
The rest of the game was hectic in Fürth and resistance from Babelsberg. The urgency that Fürth felt brought nothing more than a long-range shot from Green, which goalkeeper wing parried without any effort (84th). Until Green hit his head in the 85th minute – after Barry had fought his way to the baseline and flanked precisely into the back of the defense.
What followed was overtime that offered surprisingly little, except for a great chance from Hrgota (111th), who moved wings freely in front of the goalkeeper, a header from Maximilian Bauer – and the rain that began at the end of overtime, including on penalties the actors went down and in the end was forgotten because David Danko ensured victory. And catapulted SV Babelsberg 03 into the second round of the cup.
Babelsberg coach Jörg Buder released his players after the passionately fought victory, “they should celebrate,” he said. The next training was scheduled for Monday. “And then we’ll have to sweat out the alcohol again.”
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