Borussia Dortmund said goodbye to the German Cup with a 3-2 result against Werder Bremen, after a comeback that was sealed in added time. The match, played at the SignalIdunaPark, ended with the final score of 3‑2 in favor of Bremen, who achieved victory thanks to two goals from NiclasFüllkrug and a last goal from Sabitzer in stoppage time.
At the beginning of the match, Dortmund seemed to dominate. Goals from Guirassy (6') and Chukwuemeka (17') gave the hosts a 2-0 lead that seemed secure. However, the former club player, now signed by Bremen, changed the course of the match. Füllkrug entered the game in the 59th minute and, six minutes later, scored their first goal from the spot. Just three minutes later, he also scored the second, leveling the score and putting Dortmund in a pressure situation.
The team led by NikoKovac failed to regain the lead. Central defense player Sabitzer was responsible for closing the game with a goal in added time, ensuring Bremen's victory. The result left Dortmund out of the competition, while Bremen advanced to the next phase of the tournament.
On the same day, other matches in the second round of the DFBPokal also marked surprises and eliminations. Hamburg lost 1-3 against Frankfurt, and RWE lost 1-2 against Leipzig. In the north, Sonnenhof lost 2-4 against Augsburg, while Köln won 5-0 against Union Berlin. In the southern zone, M'gladbach won 2-0 against Karlsruhe, and Elversberg was defeated 0-2 by Darmstadt. The first division teams that were eliminated were Hamburg, Mainz05, Union Berlin and Elversberg. On the other hand, lower-ranked teams Darmstadt and Bochum managed to advance, surprising their higher-ranked rivals.
With the elimination of Dortmund, the German club loses the opportunity to compete for the national cup and will have to concentrate on the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Bremen, for its part, advances to the next round with the hope of continuing to surprise in the competition. The next step for both teams will be to define their strategies for the next few days, as the season calendar becomes increasingly demanding.