Soccer - Grammozis gets off to a dream start in Kaiserslautern: "Super performance"
Dimitrios Grammozis was right in the middle of the first party at Betzenberg: Second-division soccer club 1. FC Kaiserslautern have made it through to the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup, giving their new coach an ideal debut. "I really, really enjoyed it, because it was a good game from us," said Grammozis
In an atmospheric clash between the traditional clubs, the Palatinate team beat league rivals 1. FC Nürnberg 2:0 (0:0) on Tuesday evening. Richmond Tachie (75th minute) and Ragnar Ache (78th) scored the goals for Kaiserslautern in front of 48,349 spectators at the Fritz Walter Stadium, who reached the quarter-finals of the cup for the first time in ten years.
"First of all, I said congratulations to my players. The goals were very, very well played. It's a good start, but we have to keep going," added Grammozis. As the successor to Dirk Schuster, who had been dismissed the previous week, he immediately achieved the long-awaited victory in the Palatinate.
In the first half, the fans saw a game at a low level, with both teams primarily concerned with a secure defense. Kaiserslautern were the more active team, but often tried to score from the second row. Nuremberg's Christian Mathenia saved one such shot from Marlon Ritter after 21 minutes. The visitors were even less dangerous in front of goal.
That changed after the restart. A header from Daichi Hayashi following a corner from Taylan Duman was cleared off the line by Kaiserslautern goalkeeper Julian Krahl (51'). The game flattened out again after that, however, with almost no big scoring chances for either side.
The Palatinate side then decided the game with a double strike in quick succession. First, Tachie scored after an assist from Jean Zimmer. Tachie then set up Joker Ache, who scored the second goal and had to leave the field injured shortly before the end.
Managing director Thomas Hengen said after the game on ARD: "The relief is huge. I'm delighted for the team. That was a great fight. It was a great collective performance." The quarter-finals will be played on January 30/31 and February 6/7. The final will take place in Berlin on May 25. Numerous Bundesliga clubs such as champions FC Bayern and cup winners RB Leipzig have already been eliminated.
Squad 1. FC Kaiserslautern Squad 1. FC Nürnberg DFB Cup data Cup history 1. FC Kaiserslautern
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- Dimitrios Grammozis, the new coach of 1. FC Kaiserslautern, experienced a dream start in his debut match, guiding the team to a 2-0 victory over 1. FC Nuremberg in the Rhineland-Palatinate, advancing to the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup in Kaiserslautern's Fritz Walter Stadium.
- Grammozis, the successor to Dirk Schuster, praised his players for their excellent performances in the match, acknowledging that they need to maintain their focus going forward.
- In a relatively low-scoring first half, both teams prioritized defense, but the second half proved to be more action-packed, with Kaiserslautern scoring two goals in quick succession through Richmond Tachie and Ragnar Ache.
- FC Nuremberg, located in Bavaria, struggled to create scoring opportunities throughout the match, while Kaiserslautern goalkeeper Julian Krahl made several crucial saves to keep his team in the lead.
- The Bavarian team's absence from the quarter-finals comes as a disappointment, as numerous Bundesliga clubs, including champions FC Bayern and cup winners RB Leipzig, have already been eliminated from the competition.
- The remaining quarter-final matches will take place on January 30/31 and February 6/7, with the final scheduled for May 25 in Berlin, giving Grammozis and 1. FC Kaiserslautern an exciting opportunity to continue their remarkable run in the DFB Cup.
Source: www.stern.de
