Holders Stuttgart advance on penalties after dramatic night in Braunschweig | OneFootball

As we’ve seen in many stadiums throughout the first round of the DFB-Pokal, Braunschweig fans created an electric atmosphere at the start of the game. However, it was the visitors who had the first chance when Chris Führich’s inviting cross was nearly met by Deniz Undav.

Alexander Nübel, who missed the Supercup defeat because of an elbow injury, had a worrying start in the other box as Erencan Yardımcı came very close to dispossessing him. Moments later, the German international was at fault for the game’s opening goal.

Braunschweig’s captain Sven Köhler scored his first goal for the club with a long-range strike, but Nübel should’ve done much better to prevent it. Stuttgart quickly levelled the score with another move started on the left side. Ermedin Demirovic headed home a typical Maximilian Mittelstädt delivery with a composed finish in the 11th minute.

The tempo slowed down after the equalizer with Stuttgart threatening from a couple of long throw-ins by Ramon Hendriks, whose every touch was greeted by boos from Braunschweig fans after he picked up a yellow card for dangerous play. Lorenzo Assignon also had a shot on target ten minutes before the half-time break.

Braunschweig’s best chance to retake the lead arrived in the 40th minute when Yardımcı hit the side netting from a promising move. In the closing stages of the first-half, Demirovic and Köhler attempted similar chances to the way they scored, but both goalkeepers easily caught the ball.

The hosts had the first chance after the break from the hardworking Yardımcı. The Turkish striker failed to keep his shot on target, however. In contrast, Demiorvic was efficient with his chances, unlike the Hoffenheim loanee. The Bosnian international put Stuttgart ahead for the first time with his second goal of the night at the hour mark.

Angelo Stiller was credited with the assist as he made a great run down the left flank before setting up the striker, who timed his run perfectly. Braunschweig responded with a couple of changes after the goal with Christian Conteh and Levente Szabó entering the scene.

Sebastian Hoeneß also opted for attacking substitutions with German internationals Nick Woltemade and Jamie Leweling coming on for the final twenty minutes. However, the next goal had nothing to do with fresh legs.

Braunschweig’s left wingback Fabio Di Michele Sanchez smashed home a ferocious shot above Nübel’s head from an unexpected angle. With only five minutes left, the hosts were back on top with yet another cracking strike from Sanchez.

Following a well-worked move, the 22-year-old beat Stuttgart’s goalkeeper with an unstoppable shot. Sanchez only scored two goals last season, but they were also in big moments – a surprising win against HSV and in the extra-time of the relegation/promotion playoff tie versus Saarbrücken.

However, that wasn’t the end of the pulsating tie here. Substitutes Leweling and Woltemade combined well as the striker in FC Bayern’s wishlist netted his first goal of the season in the 89th minute. Woltemade showed his prowess once again in injury-time, but he was denied a beautiful assist due to a blunder miss by Demirovic, who could’ve won it for the holders by completing his hat-trick.

Instead, the tie went into extra-time. Nonetheless, Stuttgart did take the lead in the first minute of extra-time with another delightful play on the wing: this time from the new signing Tiago Tomás. The Portuguese winger showed mesmerizing skill before his delivery caused an own-goal by substitute Sanoussy Ba.

Lukas Frenkert was so close to tying the score with the game’s fourth equalizer (by either side), but his header was rebounded off the crossbar in the 98th minute. No worries, though. It’s 4-4 at the end of the first-half of extra-time following an expert finish from Conteh.

It could’ve easily been 5-4 for Braunschweig as they had two great chances, including Nübel’s first save of the night to deny Conteh a quickfire brace. Stuttgart started the final 15 minutes strongly with Woltemade at the center of their promising moves. But there are no more goals.

Both teams led twice over the course of 120 minutes, but there was a response at the other end each time. The drama won’t end there as the penalty shootout saw a head-to-head between two former Schalke and FC Bayern goalkeepers.

Nübel and Ron-Thorben Hoffmann were beaten in the first attempts, but the Bayern loanee gave the holders an advantage by saving Johan Gómez’s effort. Nübel, who had a poor game, followed it up with another save from Max Marie.

But, it’s 2-1 after three attempts each as Hoffmann denied former Real Madrid youngster Chema Andrés. And, it’s 3-3 before it enters sudden death. Dan-Axel Zagadou failed to keep his kick on target on his long-awaited return from a serious injury.It went all the way to the tenth kicks of the sides before the deciding moment. Nübel saved his third penalty from Frenkert, and Lorenzo Assignon won it before it was the turn of the goalkeepers.

This was the fourth cup meeting between the sides. In total, 27 goals were scored across these ties with Stuttgart progressing to the next rounds on all occasions.