BERLIN:
Stuttgart won 2-0 at home to knock Borussia Dortmund out of the last 16 of the German Cup on Wednesday as third division Saarbrucken, who previously eliminated Bayern Munich, eliminated Eintracht Frankfurt.
In addition to Bayern, Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, holders RB Leipzig are also out, with only three of the remaining eight teams playing top-flight football.
“We have to be honest, it was a football disaster,” said Dortmund captain Emre Can.
“We are Dortmund, more has to be done. It can’t go on like this, we have to have serious discussions.”
Dortmund, beaten 2-1 by Stuttgart at the same venue in November, were outclassed by a dominant home side who won thanks to second-half goals from Sergi Guirasi and Silas.
Guirassy now has 18 goals in 13 games in all competitions this season.
English teenager Jamie Bynoe-Gittens had the ball in the net for Dortmund shortly after Guirassy’s goal, but the effort was ruled out by VAR for offside.
With Dortmund pressing for an equaliser, Stuttgart striker Silas broke through a sleepy defense to score a second and seal his side’s progress to the quarter-finals.
Winners in 2021, Dortmund have now been eliminated in the last 16 in five of the last seven years.
Stuttgart’s victory came shortly after five-time German Cup winners Frankfurt were beaten 2-0 away to Saarbrucken, conceding second-half goals from Kai Bruenker and Luca Kerber.
A “super proud” Saarbruecken coach Ruediger Ziehl said “this is just crazy”, while Bruenker told Sky Germany “tonight I will enjoy a beer and we will celebrate like wild animals”.
Frankfurt debutant Noel Futkeu was sent off late on for a tackle on defender Marcel Gaus just six minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Saarbrucken, 11th in the third division, beat Bayern 2-1 at home in the second round last month.
In the German capital, Hertha Berlin beat Hamburg on penalties to reach the last eight.
Hertha’s Fabian Reese scored the opener and then found the net again in the 90th minute to send the match into extra time after Immanuel Ferai and Hamburg’s Laszlo Benes had given the visitors a first-half lead.
Hertha academy product Ransford Königsdorfer scored for Hamburg and England defender Jonjo Kenny struck late on for the hosts to send the game to penalties.
Koenigsdoerffer saved the spot and Reese scored soon after to secure the win.
Hertha joined Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals after the Bundesliga leaders won 3-1 at home to second division Paderborn.
Despite having two goals disallowed for offside, Leverkusen dismantled Paderborn thanks to strikes from Victor Boniface, Exequiel Palacios and Patrik Schick. Sebastian Klaas pulled one back late on for the visitors.
Fortuna Dusseldorf, Borussia Monchengladbach, St. Pauli and Kaiserslautern reached the last eight on Tuesday.
a href=”https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449235/german-cup-exit-a-footballing-catastrophe-can”>Source link
