New Delhi: DFB Pokal is back with round two. Tuesday saw the first game underway after 32 teams qualified from the last round. The German league has already produced some thrilling games, as half of the games have already finished. Here’s a round-up of the 10:30 PM games from the league.
RB Leipzig 4-2 FC St. Pauli
Safely through to the round of 16! 🙌🏆
⏱️ FT | 4-2 | #RBLFCSP pic.twitter.com/vNftpoxQuy
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) October 29, 2024
Following a dominant first half, RB Leipzig had already guaranteed themselves a spot in the round of 16. After the initial testing times, RB Leipzig found gaps with ease. They ultimately advanced to the next round of the DFB Cup thanks to a solitary effort from Nusa. RB coach Marco Rose made six changes to the starting eleven from their 3-1 victory over SC Freiburg in the top match.
Maarten Vandevoordt took Peter Gulacsi’s place in goal, who had just been replaced because of an injury. Along with Castello Lukeba, Antonio Nusa, Amadou Haidara, and Benjamin Sesko, who were on the bench, and Openda, who is out of the squad after a knee injury, Klostermann, Bitshiabu, Vermeeren, Silva, and Poulsen, all took turns. Leipzig’s defence was amazing as they thwarted any chance of an equalizer threat, and though they didn’t keep a clean sheet, in the end, they prevailed in the game.
While they were facing an imminent defeat, FC St. Pauli managed to generate some excitement, scoring once in each of the halves. Their second half saw them more dangerous and pushed forward more. However, with two goals in deficit, they faced a daunting task, and the 80th-minute goal from Leipzig’s Nusa sealed the fate for Pauli despite coming out with a better ball possession in the second half.
Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 SV Elversberg
Into the next round! 😮💨🏆
90+3′ | 3-0 | #B04ELV pic.twitter.com/XnOvjvAWbg
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) October 29, 2024
Bayer Leverkusen took the field for DFB Pokal round two against SV Elversberg with eight changes in position made by coach Xabi Alonso after their 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen. Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface were placed on the bench, while Nordi Mukiele, Arthur, Exequiel Palacios, Aleix Garcia, Nathan Tella, Patrik Schick, and Jonas Hofmann were added to the starting lineup, along with Matej Kovar in goal.
SVE coach Horst Steffen had to bring in Arne Sicker in place of Robin Fellhauer, who was absent from the squad due to ankle issues. Otherwise, the starting lineup from the 4-2 victory over HSV remained unchanged. Leverkusen gave a few chances towards the end of the first half after solid early goals. SVE almost made a comeback in them as Muhammed Damar got a free kick in the 40th minute, and Elias Baum had a chance in the 44th minute, but Kovar was exceptional between the sticks as he stopped both of them.
In the second half, Leverkusen maintained their tactical approach and maintained a clean sheet. Elversberg continued to enter the final third and had more possession during the next 45 minutes. Corners aimed directly at the goal were especially risky, but the mounting pressure meant they faltered more, even at close range. Despite their better performance in the second half, they could not break Leverkusen’s defence.
