Stuttgart edge Braunschweig in epic shootout to progress in German Cup

Berlin, Aug 27 (IANS) Title holders VfB Stuttgart survived a rollercoaster evening to book their place in the second round of the German Cup, edging Eintracht Braunschweig 8-7 on penalties after a 4-4 draw on Tuesday night.

Second-tier Braunschweig entered the clash in confident spirits and stunned the visitors early. Sven Kohler’s long-range strike slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Alexander Nubel in the eighth minute, giving Braunschweig a surprise lead. Stuttgart, however, wasted little time in replying, with Ermedin Demirovic heading in Maximilian Mittelstadt’s precise cross just four minutes later.

Both teams continued to exchange chances before Stuttgart seized the initiative after the break. Angelo Stiller broke clear on the left and set up Demirovic for his second of the night, putting the Bundesliga side 2-1 ahead, reports Xinhua.

Yet Braunschweig refused to bow down. Fabio Di Michele Sanchez produced two stunning goals within 10 minutes, one from a tight angle and another thunderous effort from distance, to seemingly turn the tie in the underdogs’ favour.

But Stuttgart struck back late. Substitute Jamie Leweling powered down the wing and teed up Nick Woltemade, who scrambled home the equalizer in the 89th minute to force extra time. Just three minutes into the added period, Tiago Tomas dazzled with a piece of skill on the flank, leading to Sanoussy Ba inadvertently turning the ball into his own net under pressure from Demirovic.

Still Braunschweig found another response. Christian Conteh levelled with a brilliant finish after spinning away from his marker, and the hosts almost grabbed a dramatic fifth when Conteh and Johan Gomez both went close. With the score locked at 4-4, the match moved to penalties.

The shootout became an endurance test, stretching to 20 spot-kicks in total. Nubel redeemed his earlier error with three decisive saves, including a crucial stop against Lukas Frenkert. Lorenz Assignon then converted the decisive penalty, sparking wild celebrations among the Stuttgart players.

“We had a poor start and conceded too many goals, which really hurt. But in the end, it turned out well, we’re through and I’m very happy. Against a team like Eintracht, a game like this can always go either way,” said goalkeeper Alexander Nubel.

Eintracht Braunschweig goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann spoke with mixed emotions after the narrow defeat: “Of course it hurts a lot, but the pride outweighs the pain. I think this was the definition of leaving everything out on the pitch. We pushed the defending Cup winners right to their limits.”