In the first round of the DFB Cup, the Bundesliga soccer teams Bayer Leverkusen and 1. FC Köln suffered serious setbacks.
Champions League participant Leverkusen lost 3: 4 (2: 3) to third division promoted and table leaders SV Elversberg. The Cologne team failed on penalties at the second division leaders Jahn Regensburg with 3:4. After 90 and also after 120 minutes it was 2:2 (1:2). Regensburg’s hero was goalkeeper Dejan Stojanovic, who saved Cologne’s Kingsley Ehizibue’s decisive penalty.
The ambitious team of Bayer coach Gerardo Seoane revealed alarming weaknesses in defense in Elversberg. The Saarland hosts already looked like the winners after the 4:2 by captain Kevin Conrad (74th). Leverkusen’s striker Patrik Schick (89th) made it exciting again with his connecting goal. But Bayer couldn’t think of anything else to force the strong outsider into extra time.
Hamburg in extra time, Paderborn wins high
Second division club Hamburger SV struggled against third division promoted SpVgg Bayreuth to a 3: 1 (2: 1, 1: 1, 0: 1) after extra time. The hosts were in the lead up to the 83rd minute. Then Ransford Königsdörffer saved HSV with his goal in extra time. Captain Sebastian Schonlau (97th) provided relief for the Hanseatic League with his goal. Königsdörffer (111th) put the final point. Two minutes later, Bayreuth’s Alexander Groiß also saw the yellow-red card.
HSV league competitor Hansa Rostock, on the other hand, failed 0-1 (0-0) at northern regional league club VfB Lübeck. Second division club 1. FC Heidenheim came to a 2-0 (0-0) win at Bayern regional league club FC Illertissen. Second division club SC Paderborn had no problems at all with the 10:0 (3:0) at upper division club FC Unity Wernigerode.
Bundesliga club VfL Bochum had previously fulfilled their duty with a 3-0 (2-0) win at north-east regional league FC Viktoria Berlin. Second division club FC St. Pauli prevented a defeat at western regional division club SV Straelen in Duisburg with a happy 4:3 (2:2).
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220730-99-213538/7 (dpa)
