Saarbrucken on Tuesday became the first fourth-division side to avance to the German Cup semi-finals, with a 7-6 penalty shoot-out win over top-tier Fortuna Dusseldorf as the match ended 1-1 after normal and extra-time.
For Saarbrucken, it was all about grit and goalkeeping in a penalty shoot-out win over Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Saarbrucken goalkeeper Daniel Batz saved four of the 10 penalties that he faced in the shoot-out — after also stopping one in the second half — as all players except for the goalkeepers had to take a spot-kick before the deadlock was broken.
Photo: Reuters
The game finished 1-1 after extra-time before the hosts won 7-6 on penalties.
Fortuna’s Mathias “Zanka” Jorgensen scored a 90th-minute equalizer to force extra-time, but missed the decisive spot-kick in the shoot-out.
Holders Bayern Munich were at Schalke 04 in the evening’s other fixture.
Saarbrucken play in the southwest regional league and had to win a local cup competition to even qualify for the German Cup.
It is the first time that a fourth-tier team have made the semi-finals of the competition. Saarbrucken were a semi-finalist in 1985, but played in West Germany’s second-tier league at the time.
Saarbrucken took the lead through Tobias Janicke in the 31st minute and kept it thanks largely to a stellar performance from Batz in goal.
After a string of impressive saves, Batz turned a penalty-kick by Rouwen Hennings in the 82nd-minute against the post, as Fortuna laid siege to Saarbrucken’s goal in the second half.
In the 90th minute, Fortuna sent goalkeeper Florian Kastenmeier up for their 15th corner of the match, and were rewarded when Kastenmeier headed the ball on for Zanka to score and send the match to extra-time.
Saarbrucken have knocked out four cup opponents from higher leagues.
Holders Bayern Munich were at Schalke 04 in the evening’s other fixture.
Additional reporting by AP
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