Berlin, Aug 27 (IANS) – Holders VfB Stuttgart endured a dramatic night in the German Cup, squeezing past second-tier Eintracht Braunschweig 8-7 on penalties after a pulsating 4-4 draw on Tuesday.
Braunschweig made a dream start, shocking the visitors in the eighth minute when Sven Kohler’s speculative long-range effort slipped through the hands of Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nübel. The Bundesliga side responded swiftly, with Ermedin Demirovic heading home a Maximilian Mittelstädt cross just four minutes later.
Both teams traded opportunities before Stuttgart took control after the break. Angelo Stiller broke free on the left and squared for Demirovic, who netted his second to make it 2-1.
But the underdogs refused to fold. Fabio Di Michele Sanchez stunned the visitors with two goals in 10 minutes — one from a tight angle and another from distance — to flip the tie in Braunschweig’s favour.
Stuttgart equalised late, as substitute Jamie Leweling burst down the wing and set up Nick Woltemade, who bundled home in the 89th minute to force extra time. Early in the added period, Tiago Tomas dazzled on the flank, with Sanoussy Ba deflecting the ball into his own net under pressure from Demirovic.
Braunschweig, however, conjured yet another reply. Christian Conteh spun away from his marker and finished brilliantly to level the score once more. Conteh and Johan Gomez even came close to a stunning fifth, but the match remained locked at 4-4 and went to penalties.
The shootout turned into a test of nerves, with 20 spot-kicks taken. Nübel atoned for his early error by making three crucial saves, including a decisive stop against Lukas Frenkert. Lorenz Assignon converted the winning penalty, triggering jubilant celebrations for Stuttgart.
“We started poorly and conceded too many goals, but in the end, we’re through and I’m very happy. Against a team like Eintracht, a match like this can always go either way,” said Stuttgart goalkeeper Nübel.
Braunschweig’s Ron-Thorben Hoffmann expressed bittersweet emotions: “It hurts a lot, but pride outweighs the pain. We gave everything on the pitch and pushed the defending champions to their limits.”
