1. FC Saarbrücken missed the next sensation of the 2023/24 season in the DFB Cup. After victories against Bundesliga clubs Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach as well as second division Karlsruher SC, the third division team now lost to 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The Lauterers won 2-0 (0-0) in Saarbrücken on Tuesday (04/02/24). For the second division club FCK, it is the ninth chance to win the big German pot; the Palatinate team has already been successful twice in their cup history.
Marlon Ritter’s header in the 53rd minute was the much celebrated opening goal for the “Red Devils from Betzenberg”. He benefited from a major blunder by FCS goalkeeper Tim Schreiber, who allowed the ball to slip through his legs while kneeling. Schreiber had shown very good performances many times during the competition and helped enormously in ensuring that Saarbrücken was represented in the cup competition for so long. In the 75th minute, Almamy Touré headed in a set-piece. The Saarbrücken fans celebrated their team for a long time and thanked them for the furious cup season.
FCS brave, FCK extremely cautious
Coach Rüdiger Ziehl’s Saarbrücken team got off to a better start in the game. The third division team exerted a lot of pressure, especially on the left side. Marcel Gaus in particular had many of his special little appearances in the opening minutes: the outside player carried his throw-ins into the six-yard box. Gaus had six such opportunities in the first six minutes, but none resulted in a scoring opportunity.
Kaiserslautern, which coach legend Friedhelm Funkel was very defensive and cautious about because of Saarbrücken’s well-known counterattack strength, only focused on counterattacking in the first half hour. And the only significant advance might have ended with Morten Ritter taking the lead. But FCS captain Manuel Zeitz showed a perfect eye when tackling the nimble Lauter attacker.
Then the game picked up speed, at least in terms of combat, but good moves remained in short supply. As the saying goes: the two teams “neutralized” each other in midfield. However, the Saarlanders had their best chance shortly before the half-time whistle from the confident referee Marco Fritz: After a free kick from the eye-catching Gaus from the left half of the field, Kai Brünker scored with a powerful diving header. But on the one hand the ball missed the goal, on the other hand the striker got loose too early and headed it into an offside position.
First louder conclusion after 47 minutes
After the break, the hosts did more for the game again – and Lautern waited for its chance. Filip Kaloč’s shot from 24 meters was the home team’s first attempt on goal – in the 48th minute. Five minutes later the visitors’ surprise goal came, in which Almamy Touré had fed Ritter with a cross from the right.
The goal didn’t change the course of the game: Saarbrücken took the game, Lautern, now even more defensive, waited like a snake in cover.
And once again the guests’ tactics almost worked: Aaron Opoku, who came onto the pitch after half an hour in place of the injured Kenny Redondo, placed the ball well in front of the left side and sprinted against the high-standing blue and black team. Zeitz, the only Saarbrücken player far and wide, opted for the rustic option and cleared the lightning-fast winger. Lautern’s players and Funkel loudly and vehemently demanded a red card for the hosts’ captain – but Fritz prudently left it at yellow.
Lautern strikes ice cold again
As expected, the intensity of the game increased – while the quality of play began to suffer more and more. When Tymoteusz Puchacz found the head of the incoming Touré perfectly with a stationary ball from the left side, the defeat of the brave Saarlanders was as good as sealed.
Saarbrücken fought back, there were awkward situations, a pack formation (four yellow cards) couldn’t be missed – and then Brünker almost scored the next goal, but he shot over the goal from a center forward position (80th). On the other side, Filip Stojilković tested the Saarbrücken keeper with a powerful volley, who in this situation made a brilliant save to prevent the ball from being scored.
Lautern’s final opponent between Fortuna Düsseldorf and Bayer Leverkusen will be determined on Wednesday (04/03/24).
