LArs Stindl no longer understood the world. “This year we have a really big chance of winning the cup – and then we’ll play a game like that,” said Borussia Mönchengladbach’s helpless captain. The Bundesliga club made a fool of itself at Hannover 96 and was kicked out of the DFB Cup after a disastrous performance. The completely indisposed team of coach Adi Hütter lost the second division club in the round of 16 with 0:3 (0:2).
While Gladbach squandered the great opportunity to at least achieve something in the cup in what had been a weak season so far, Lower Saxony made it into the quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years. In the second round, Borussia had spectacularly defeated FC Bayern Munich 5-0. The goals for Hannover were scored by Maximilian Beier (4th/51st minute) and Sebastian Kerk (36th/hand penalty).
After the defeat of champions Bayern and cup defenders Borussia Dortmund, winning the cup this year seems as easy as it is rare. After Karlsruher SC, Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli, Hannover are the fourth second division club to reach the last eight.
“We take on so much and bring it to zero,” said Stindl on the Sky TV channel. The team didn’t get into duels and just ran after them. We talked so much before the game and during the break. “You can’t just talk about it, you have to implement it. And that’s where the problem is at the moment.”
Hannover’s penalty goal scorer Kerk was surprised at the guest appearance. “If we look at how the game went, it’s a well-deserved result. We were all a bit surprised at how the game went. Gladbach gave us very, very little. So we’re just happy that we’re through,” he said.
Hannover 96 and Maximilian Beier had a lot of fun against Gladbach.
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Image: dpa
In the rerun of the 1992 final, when Hannover won the DFB Cup as a second division club, Matthias Ginter returned to the Gladbach starting line-up. The international, whose contract expires at the end of the season, was surprisingly only on the bench last weekend in the Bundesliga against Bayer Leverkusen (1-2). On his 28th birthday, Ginter played against Hannover from the start together with Marvin Friedrich, who was signed as his successor from 1. FC Union Berlin.
After just under four minutes, the defensive trio of Ginter, Friedrich and Nico Elvedi were overwhelmed by the second division club. After a precise pass from Hendrik Weydandt, Beier was completely free on the right side of the penalty area and fired powerfully past goalkeeper Yann Sommer into the Gladbach goal. After that, Hannover acted in a disciplined and committed manner. The guests also made it easy for the second division club to be the better team with an uninspired and listless appearance.
Newcomer Friedrich involuntarily paved the way for Hannover to make it 2-0. According to video evidence, referee Florian Badstübner punished a handball by the defender with a penalty, which Kerk converted. Friedrich had already caused a penalty kick against Leverkusen, but Sommer was able to parry it. This time the Swiss was also on the ball, but couldn’t prevent the goal.
After the break, the picture remained the same: the Gladbachers pomadig, the hosts engaged. And the second division club used that consistently. Beier again countered with a technically fine shot from the outside of the foot to make it 3-0. In the 62nd minute, the midfielder hit the post again. The few chances for Mönchengladbach, including Denis Zakaria and Florian Neuhaus, were thwarted by Hanover’s keeper Ron-Robert Zieler.
