The first set of matches in the German Cup third round were played tonight with favourites Bayern Munich eventually beating a plucky Wuppertal side 5-2 at the Veltins Arena. Elsewhere 1860 Munich staged a superb comeback from two goals down, while Rostock crashed out at the hands of Hoffenheim.
Wuppertal 2 Bayern Munich 5
Wuppertal from the Regionalliga Nord made it tough for Bayern Munich at the Veltins Arena in front of a massive 61,000 crowd before going down to a 5-2 defeat.
The game was forced to kick-off 15 minutes late due to traffic congestion but once underway, Bayern wasted no time at all in turning their first chance on 15 minutes into a goal.
A Ribéry corner from the left found Miroslav Klose, who rose to head superbly into the net. The goal didn’t knock Wuppertal from their game plan and they managed to fight their way back into the game with an equaliser on 26 minutes.
Striker Tobias Damm’s shot flew into the net, with a desperate attempt from Lucio unable to prevent the goal. However, the Bayern lead was restored little more than a minute later.
With the ‘home’ fans still celebrating, keeper Maly was unable to hold a cross, and Klose was on hand to score his second of the game. But unbelievably Wuppertal themselves responded quickly and grabbed a second equaliser on 29 minutes. Mahir Saglik this time fired a right foot shot past Oliver Kahn to make a real game of it.
Bayern upped the pace at the start of the second half and stamped their authority on the game. Their reward was two goals within the first ten minutes.
Firstly, van Buyten was on hand to head in another Ribéry cross after 50 minutes. Then four minutes later, Luca Toni was in the right place to tuck away Bayern’s fourth after Maly was only able to parry a shot.
Substitute Hamit Altintop grabbed a fifth for Bayern two minutes from the end with a right foot shot to put the icing on a good second half performance and send Bayern into the quarter finals.
Wuppertal: Maly, Stuckmann, Voigt, Wiwerink, Lejan, Bölstler, Jerat (Dogan), Lintjens (Malura), Rietpietsch, Saglik, Damm
Bayern: Kahn, Sagnol, Lucio, van Buyten, Lahm, van Bommel, Zé Roberto (Kroos), Sosa (Altintop), Ribéry, (Schweinsteiger), Toni, Klose
Alemannia Aachen 2 1860 Munich 3
18,000 fans at the Tivoli saw the away side come back from 2-0 down to win 2-3 and proceed to the quarter-finals.
Todor Kolev put the hosts in front after 10 minutes after a long ball was flicked on and played to him on the edge of the Munich area. Ten minutes before the interval and the lead with doubled with Ebbers this time the scorer.
Kolev was the provider this time as he beat Hoffmann before laying the ball off to Ebbers to score.
The second half however saw a comeback along the lines of Liverpool in Istanbul. Three goals from the visitors in the final seven minutes turned the game on its head.
Danny Schwarz grabbed one back for 1860 on 83 minutes when he profited from the ball hitting the Aachen wall following a free kick. Two minutes later and they were on level terms when Kukukovic fired in from close range after a Bierofka cross.
The comeback of all comebacks was completed on 88 minutes when midfielder Fabian Johnson walked through the Aachen defence and left keeper Straub with no chance.
1899 Hoffenheim 2 Hansa Rostock 1
Bundesliga strugglers Hansa Rostock became the latest top flight club to exit the Cup with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of 1899 Hoffenheim.
Per Nilsson opened the scoring in the 12th minute heading in a free kick from Salihovic. Rostock found it very difficult to get themselves into the game and deservedly went in behind at half time.
Seven minutes after the restart however and they did grab and equaliser through Enrico Kern. Following a corner, Stein saw his header come back off the post, but Kern was on hand to fire home.
The second descended into rather a poor affair before Junior Orestes put through his own net to restore Hoffenheim’s lead after 71 minutes.
Goal.com - Germany - DFB Pokal Round-Up: Bayern Overcome Plucky Wuppertal, 1860 Stage Comeback, Rostock Out