Happy end to crazy cup tie

Match summary

Braunschweig took an early lead courtesy of a Sven Köhler long-range shot that Alexander Nübel got a hand to but was unable to keep out. VfB responded in ideal fashion, however, and equalised shortly afterwards thanks to a superb Ermedin Demirovic header (11’).

Ramon Hendriks sent a header just wide of the left-hand post in the 20^th minute and Lorenz Assignon was denied by Ron-Thorben Hoffmann quarter of an hour later. The second-division side continued to play aggressively and were strong in the tackle though, and could have retaken the lead shortly before the interval through Erencan Yardimci (41’), while Nübel was called into action to keep out another dangerous Köhler effort from distance (45’+3). As such, an intensive first half came to an end with the scores level.

Demirovic makes it 2-1

The first chance of the second half fell to Braunschweig’s Yardimci (54’), but it was VfB who ended up taking the lead again when Angelo Stiller fed Demirovic to score his second of the match (60’).

Frantic finish

The second-tier side refused to give up, however, and turned the match on its head, making the most of two defensive errors by VfB to take a 3-2 lead courtesy of a pair of goals from Fabio Di Michele Sanchez (78’, 85’). Nick Woltemade equalised four minutes later thanks to good work from Jamie Leweling, and regulation time ended with the scores level at 3-3.

A goal apiece in extra time

In the second minute of the extra half-hour, Sanoussy Ba turned a cross from Tiago Tomas into his own net to give Stuttgart back the lead, but Christian Conteh equalised for the home side in the 105^th minute to send the tie to penalties. 

Nübel the shoot-out hero

Alex Nübel then saved three of the spot-kicks in the shoot-out, while Chema and Dan-Axel Zagadou were the only ones not to score for VfB, with the result that the lads from Cannstatt went home happy after what was a fast and furious cup tie.

Goals

8^th minute: Nübel fails to keep hold of Köhler’s 30-yard drive and lets one in that he should have saved – Braunschweig take the lead.

11^th minute: A Maximilian Mittelstädt cross picks out Demirovic perfectly in the box and he heads home into the right-hand corner.

60^th minute: Stiller tees up Demirovic in the penalty area and the VfB striker slots home from six yards.

78^th minute: A cross into the box finds Fabio Di Michele Sanchez totally unmarked and he hammers home from close range to make it 2-2. 

85^th minute: Di Michele Sanchez is again totally free in the box and his shot into the right-hand corner gives his side a 3-2 lead.

89^th minute:  Leweling sets up Woltemade for the equaliser – 3-3.

92^nd minute: Ba turns a cross from the right from Tomas into his own net.

105^th minute: Conteh turns his man cleverly in the box and fires home into the bottom right-hand corner, giving Nübel no chance.

Penalties

1:0 - Levente Szabo scores
1:1 - Nick Woltemade scores
1:1 - Alexander Nübel saves vs. Johan Gomez
1:2 - Maximilian Mittelstädt scores
1:2 - Alexander Nübel saves vs. Max Marie
1:2 - Ron-Thorben Hoffmann saves vs. Chema Andres
2:2 - Mehmet Can Aydin scores
2:2 - Dan-Axel Zagadou missed
3:2 - Sebastian Polter scores
3:3 - Jamie Leweling scores
4:3 - Leon Bell Bell scores
4:4 - Ermedin Demirovic scores
5:4 - Sanoussy Ba scores
5:5 - Ramon Hendriks scores
6:5 - Kevin Ehlers trifft scores
6:6 - Josha Vagnoman scores
7:6 - Christian Conteh scores
7:7 - Atakan Karazor scores
7:7 - Alexander Nübel saves vs. Lukas Frenkert
7:8 – Lorenz Assignon scores