Hertha from Berlin threw out Bundesliga club Heidenheim in front of their home crowd. Two other teams from the upper house, Freiburg and Werder, were able to win.
Second division Hertha BSC pulled off a surprise and eliminated Bundesliga club Heidenheim in the second round of the DFB Cup. At the end of the second round game in the Olympic Stadium it was 2:1 (1:0) for the hosts.
The home team played particularly well in the first half and deservedly took the lead through Derry Scherhant in the 16th minute. In the second half, Heidenheim increasingly took control of the game, but after good transition play, it was Michaël Cuisance who increased for Hertha in the 74th minute. Heidenheim reduced the deficit again in the 89th minute through Stefan Schimmer and even seemed to equalize in the fifth minute of stoppage time. But Paul Wanner’s goal didn’t count and the Heidenheimers were eliminated.
In the parallel games, two other Bundesliga teams, SC Freiburg and Werder Bremen, had a difficult time, but made it into the round of 16 clear. Freiburg won 2-1 against Hamburger SV and Bremen won 1-0 against SC Paderborn.
Even before Scherhant’s goal, Hertha had a huge opportunity: a cross pass to striker Florian Niederlechner (15th) was intercepted at the last moment. A little later Berlin struck, Scherhant had little trouble and rewarded the outsider for a courageous initial phase.
Berlin remained strong afterwards, but did not make enough of its superiority. Niederlechner (31st, 32nd) and Scherhant missed opportunities to score the second goal. FCH, on the other hand, only fired one shot at the Hertha goal in the first half.
This changed immediately after the break, but Denis Thomalla (48th) shot over the Hertha goal. However, Heidenheim was unable to put the Berliners under consistent pressure; the hosts repeatedly freed themselves and had opportunities: Cuisance capitalized on one of them and scored Hertha’s second goal. Things got dramatic in the final phase. First, Schimmer shortened the game for Heidenheim and then the guests even celebrated the equalizer with the very last action. But the assistant referee had previously recognized foul play and asked referee Robert Kampka to speak to him. He then took the goal back, to the horror of the Heidenheimers. A VAR is not yet in use in the first rounds of the cup. Heidenheim was eliminated.
Led by the once again strong Vincenzo Grifo, SC Freiburg made it to the round of 16 of the DFB Cup. The Baden Bundesliga team won 2-1 (2-0) against the second division team Hamburger SV in front of 34,500 spectators after a confident, but overall rather lackluster performance in front of 34,500 spectators.
Grifo first prepared the lead through defender Matthias Ginter (19th minute) and then scored himself with a penalty kick (44th). After ten competitive games this season, Freiburg’s offensive ace already has five goals and six assists. HSV was able to shorten the score thanks to Jonas Meffert (51′), but in the end it didn’t put SC coach Julian Schuster’s favored team in any decisive trouble.
Werder Bremen has stopped its negative trend in the DFB Cup. The Hanseatic League reached the round of 16 of the competition for the first time since 2020. Coach Ole Werner’s team narrowly won the second division team SC Paderborn 1-0 (1-0) in the second round. In the last three editions of the cup, the North Germans failed in the first or second round.
Marvin Ducksch (30th minute) scored the decisive goal in front of 15,000 spectators in the sold-out Home Deluxe Arena. Paderborn were particularly better in the second half, missed a few opportunities to equalize and were denied several times by Werder goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, who was in a good mood.
Both teams had fought high-scoring duels in the recent past. In January 2022, Bremen lost 4-3 at SCP in the 2nd league, and several months later Paderborn knocked the Hanseatic League out of the cup in the 2nd round. Last year, Bremen failed in the first round against third division team Osnabrück, and in 2023 Werder also lost right at the start to third division team Viktoria Köln.
Interview between Time.news Editor and Football Expert
Time.news Editor: Welcome to our show! Today, we have a special guest, renowned football analyst and commentator, Dr. Lisa Keller. She’s here to discuss the recent DFB Cup upset where second division team Hertha BSC eliminated Bundesliga club Heidenheim. Thank you for joining us, Dr. Keller!
Dr. Lisa Keller: Thank you for having me! It’s great to be here.
Time.news Editor: Let’s dive right in. Hertha BSC’s victory against Heidenheim was certainly unexpected. How significant is this upset in the context of the DFB Cup?
Dr. Lisa Keller: It’s a huge statement from Hertha. The DFB Cup is known for its surprises, but eliminating a Bundesliga side, especially on their home turf, elevates Hertha’s performance beyond just a fluke win. It shows that they can compete and thrive under pressure.
Time.news Editor: Absolutely! The match statistics indicate that Hertha took control early on. What do you think were the key factors that contributed to their strong start?
Dr. Lisa Keller: Hertha’s ability to capitalize on their opportunities was critical. Derry Scherhant’s goal in the 16th minute was a result of their aggressive approach. The first half was characterized by their confidence and willingness to attack, which caught Heidenheim off guard.
Time.news Editor: Speaking of missed opportunities, it seems like Hertha had several chances to extend their lead but didn’t capitalize on them. How crucial do you think this was for the game’s outcome?
Dr. Lisa Keller: It was very crucial. Not capitalizing on those opportunities can become a narrative in itself. While Hertha played bravely, their failure to convert further chances meant Heidenheim was still in the game. It ultimately set the stage for a very tense finish.
Time.news Editor: The second half, however, saw a shift in momentum, with Heidenheim pushing more aggressively. What adjustments do you think they made during halftime?
Dr. Lisa Keller: Heidenheim came out with renewed vigor, which is typical in situations like this. They probably discussed becoming more assertive in their attacking plays and applying consistent pressure on Hertha. Unfortunately, despite several attempts, they lacked the clinical edge needed to convert their control into goals.
Time.news Editor: That dramatic finale — with Heidenheim scoring a late goal only to have it disallowed — must have been a heartbreaker for their supporters. Can you shed light on the impact of the lack of VAR in the earlier rounds of the cup?
Dr. Lisa Keller: It creates quite a controversial environment. The absence of VAR means that certain pivotal moments are left to the judgment of the officials, which can lead to significant errors. In high-stakes matches like this, those missed calls can feel much more impactful for teams and fans. Heidenheim’s disallowed goal could have changed the narrative entirely.
Time.news Editor: Moving on to some other matches, SC Freiburg and Werder Bremen also advanced, but not without a grind. How do these matches reflect on the competitiveness of the Bundesliga overall?
Dr. Lisa Keller: It highlights that even among Bundesliga teams, there’s very little room for complacency. Freiburg and Bremen had to dig deep against lower-ranking teams, which shows that talent isn’t uniform and anyone can challenge the established order. It also emphasizes the importance of mental toughness as the tournament progresses.
Time.news Editor: Thank you for your insights, Dr. Keller! Before we wrap up, what are your predictions for the future rounds of the DFB Cup now that the surprises are rolling in?
Dr. Lisa Keller: I expect more upsets in the later stages. With teams like Hertha gaining confidence, the tournament is wide open. It will be interesting to see how the Bundesliga sides adjust against teams that now have nothing to lose.
Time.news Editor: Fantastic! We’ll be watching closely. Thank you again for joining us today, Dr. Keller!
Dr. Lisa Keller: Thank you for having me! It’s been a pleasure.