With his side playing its sixth of nine games in 29 days, Niko Kovac brought in four rested players but didn’t change the tactical approach, as he once again fielded a 3-3-2-2 formation. In the back, Joane Gadou replaced Ramy Bensebaini, who was serving a suspension from the Super Cup. With Jobe Bellingham, Carney Chukwuemeka (as a second striker) and Maximilian Beier also joining the first eleven, Marcel Sabitzer, Daniel Svensson and Fabio Silva moved to the bench.
During the opening stages, Werder pressed extremely high, involving a total of six players. However, Borussia managed to overcome the pressure through confident passing. Felix Nmecha then picked up the pace deep inside his own half, finding a streaking Maxi Beier on the left wing. Beier’s hard, low centering ball missed Serhou Guirassy, but Julian Ryerson had made a run from the right side of the six-yard box and sent the ball back across the goal mouth This time, Guirassy was on hand to slot it home for an early 1-0 lead (6′).
In the 14th minute, the roughly 74,000 BVB fans among the sellout crowd of 81,365 at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK erupted with joy for a second time, but their celebrations were short-lived. While Nico Schlotterbeck headed Joey Veerman’s corner kick into the net, Beier and Guirassy were both offside on the play, negating the goal. The visitors subsequently dropped back and focused on closing down space, but Veerman’s clever chip found Jobe Bellingham in the penalty area, and the Englishman laid it off delicately with his head, allowing the onrushing Carney Chukwuemeka to put his laces through the ball. Even though Werder goalkeeper Hein managed to get a hand on the first-time shot from 15 meters (roughly 16.5 yards) out, he couldn’t keep it out (17′). The 2-0 lead was well-deserved, as the BVB players had won two-thirds of their duels against opponents who thrive on their physicality
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BVB started the second half with some lapses in concentration, one of which forced Schlotterbeck to make a last-ditch play and prevent a dangerous look on a Bremen counterattack (51′). Two minutes after the home side first responded through Nmecha’s wicked curling effort (54′), Chukwuemeka then found himself wide-open in front of goal after combining beautifully with Guirassy, only to be denied by Hein.
The remainder of the match would show just how important a 3-0 cushion would have been. Werder suqsequently made four substitutions — introducing Niclas Füllkrug, among others — and went on the cut its deficit down to 2-1 the 65th minute. After Ryerson was judged to have pulled down Schmetgens inside the box, former BVB man Füllkrug found the bottom right corner from the spot. Three minutes later, Füllkrug received the ball in the center circle, carried it all the way to the edge of the penalty area, and fired it inside the right post from 22 meters (roughly 24 yards) out, making it 2-2
Kovac responded with a triple substitution, bringing on Svensson, Sabitzer and Nwaneri (71′). Daniel Svensson’s shot from 11 meters (roughly 12 yards) out was cleared behind for a corner by Amos Pieper (89′), but Borussia would earn one last look at goal, with Nmecha being brough down for a free kick left of center. Marcel Sabitzer stepped up and smashed an unsoppable effort into the top top left corner from 26 yards (roughly 28,5 yards) out, bagging the game’s dramatic winner.
DFB-Pokal, Second Round
BVB: Kobel – Gadou, Anton, Schlotterbeck – Ryerson (71′ Svensson), Veerman (71′ Sabitzer), Beier – Bellingham, Nmecha – Guirassy (84′ Silva), Chukwuemeka (71′ Nwaneri)Bench: Drewes, Mane, Reggiani, Albert, InacioUnavailable: Bensebaini (red-card suspension), Can, Konstantelias (both torn ACLs), Karetsas (ligament injury), Lerma (muscle injury), Meyer (illness)
