DFB Cup - Stuttgart and Leverkusen advance - Saarbrücken's next coup
VfB Stuttgart became only the third Bundesliga team after Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach to qualify for the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup with a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.
Ahead of the Bundesliga top match against VfB on Sunday, league leaders Leverkusen also fulfilled their mandatory task with a 3:1 win against SC Paderborn. Eintracht Frankfurt, on the other hand, fell at the hurdle of 1. FC Saarbrücken, losing 2-0 to the Bayern conquerors. The third-division club is therefore the biggest outsider in Sunday's draw, which also includes second-division clubs FC St. Pauli, Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
In Stuttgart, goalscorer Serhou Guirassy (54th minute) and substitute Silas (77th) scored for the Swabians, who often put Dortmund's defense under pressure and secured their fourth competitive win in a row.
Saarbrücken defeat Eintracht
The big surprise of the day came from 1. FC Saarbrücken with a 2-0 win over Eintracht and their next coup against a favorite. Captain Manuel Zeitz said after the goals from Kai Brünker (64') and Luca Kerber (78'): "It's unbelievable what we've pulled off here again in the cup." In addition to losing the game, the disappointing Eintracht also lost Noel Futkeu, who was shown the red card after an assault (83').
Leverkusen controlled the home game against Paderborn for long stretches and only had to tremble a little after Sebastian Klaas scored the equalizer in the 83rd minute. Patrik Schick put all worries to rest twelve minutes after coming on as a substitute (87'). Prior to that, Victor Boniface (12) and Argentinian world champion Exequiel Palacios (29) had put coach Xabi Alonso's side, who remain unbeaten this season, into the lead.
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VfB Stuttgart's 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Cup propelled them into the quarter-finals, joining Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach as Bundesliga teams to achieve this feat. Leverkusen, currently leading the Bundesliga, maintained their form with a 3-1 win over second-division SC Paderborn before facing Stuttgart on Sunday. Unfortunately, Eintracht Frankfurt exited the tournament after a 2-0 loss to third-division club 1. FC Saarbrücken, who are now the biggest surprise of the cup and set to face a favoritable opponent in the draw.
In Sunday's draw, Saarbrücken will be joined by Bundesliga sides VfB Stuttgart and Leverkusen, as well as second-division clubs FC St. Pauli, Fortuna Düsseldorf, and 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The third-division club's win over Eintracht Frankfurt marked their fourth consecutive competitive victory, with Serhou Guirassy (54') and substitute Silas (77') scoring the winning goals for Stuttgart in their 2-0 win over Dortmund.
Leverkusen secured their place in the quarter-finals despite a 3-minute squeeze at the 83rd minute, when Sebastian Klaas equalized for Paderborn. Luckily for Leverkusen, substitute Patrik Schick scored 12 minutes later to restore their two-goal lead and seal their unbeaten season, thanks to Victor Boniface's (12) and Exequiel Palacios' (29) earlier goals.
Meanwhile, captain Manuel Zeitz led 1. FC Saarbrücken to a memorable victory over Eintracht, with Kai Brünker (64') and Luca Kerber (78') netting the winning goals against the league champions. The disappointing Eintracht suffered the additional blow of losing Noel Futkeu, who was sent off for assaulting a Saarbrücken player with just 6 minutes remaining in the game.
As the German soccer scene continues to unfold, teams like VfB Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen, and 1. FC Saarbrücken are making their mark on the DFB Cup as the elimination round approaches.
Source: www.stern.de
