VAR in the second round of the DFB Pokal sure to be added after Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are awarded offside goals | OneFootball

With the second round of the 2025/26 DFB Pokal complete, the fact that VAR was not in use remains a significant talking point. Two matches involving Germany’s two biggest clubs featured goals that should have been ruled offside. Whereas Bayern Munich’s 1-1 in Wednesday night’s fixture against Köln may not have been decisive, however, Julian Brandt’s 1-1 in Tuesday’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt most definitely was. 

Brandt’s 48th-minute equalizer ultimately enabled Dortmund to take Eintracht to penalties. Brandt’s goal shouldn’t have been allowed to stand as BVB attacker Maximilian Beier clear stood in an offside position ahead of the strike. Dortmund eventually prevailed over their Hessian hosts in the shootout. Afterwards, Eintracht executive Axel Hellmann – who is also a top DFL executive – made his stance on the position clear. 

“I am asked again and again if there are arguments in favor of VAR,” Hellmann remarked in the mixed zone. “I am in favor of anything that is measurable. We have to get the measurable decisions right with VAR. We have to do that.“

GGFN | Peter Weis