The first round of the DFB-Pokal, Germany’s premier knockout football competition, delivered high drama and unexpected outcomes across multiple matches. The spotlight fell on 1. FC Nürnberg, led by new coach and former German international Miroslav Klose, who secured a nail-biting victory over 1. FC Saarbrücken. The match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of play, with Michal Sevcik scoring for Nürnberg in the 12th minute and Kai Brünker equalizing for Saarbrücken in the 80th minute. The tie was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout, which Nürnberg won 5-3, thanks to a crucial save by goalkeeper Christian Mathenia.In another notable fixture, FC Augsburg demonstrated resilience by coming from behind to defeat fourth-division side Viktoria Berlin 4-1. Despite conceding an early goal in the 4th minute, Augsburg rallied with goals from Elvis Rexhbecaj, Samuel Essende, Niklas Dorsch, and Phillip Tietz to secure their place in the second round.However, the day’s most surprising result came as VfL Bochum became the first Bundesliga team to be eliminated from this year’s competition. They suffered a 1-0 defeat to second-division SSV Jahn Regensburg, with Florian Ballas scoring the decisive goal in the 70th minute. This marks the second consecutive year that Bochum has exited the DFB-Pokal in the first round.Despite Bochum’s early exit, the majority of Bundesliga teams successfully navigated the first round, with 12 out of 13 top-flight clubs advancing to the next stage. Teams like Werder Bremen, VfL Wolfsburg, and Eintracht Frankfurt are yet to play their matches.As the dust settles on this round of matches, attention now turns to the upcoming Bundesliga fixtures, with eliminated teams like Bochum looking to bounce back in their league campaigns.
Key points
- Nürnberg, under new coach Miroslav Klose, advanced in the DFB-Pokal after a thrilling penalty shootout against Saarbrücken.
- VfL Bochum became the first Bundesliga team to be eliminated, losing 1-0 to SSV Jahn Regensburg.
- FC Augsburg came from behind to defeat Viktoria Berlin 4-1, showcasing resilience.
- 12 out of 13 Bundesliga teams have advanced to the second round of the DFB-Pokal so far.
Contradictions👾There is a slight discrepancy in the reported score of the Augsburg vs.
Viktoria Berlin match.
Some sources report it as 4-1, while one source reports it as 2-1.
