BERLIN: VfB Stuttgart, the current champions, battled back from a thrilling evening to secure a spot in the second round of the German Cup, defeating Eintracht Braunschweig 87-80. On penalty kicks following a 44 draw on Tuesday night.
Second-tier Braunschweig approached the game in high spirits and surprised the visitors early on. Sven Kohler's long-range shot slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Alexander Nubel in the eighth minute, handing Braunschweig a stunning lead. Stuttgart, on the other hand, responded fast, with Ermedin Demirovic scoring Maximilian Mittelstadt's accurate delivery just four minutes later.
Both sides traded opportunities before Stuttgart took control after halftime. Angelo Stiller broke clear on the left and set up Demirovic for his second goal of the night, giving the Bundesliga team a 2-1 lead.
Yet. Braunschweig refused to give up. Fabio Di Michele Sanchez scored two fantastic goals in 10 minutes, one from a narrow angle and the other a thunderbolt from range, to appear to reverse the game. The tie went in the underdogs' favour.
However, Stuttgart fought back late. Substitute Jamie Leweling stormed down the flank and set up Nick Woltemade, who scrambled home the tying goal in the 89th minute, forcing extra time. Tiago Tomas performed a beautiful bit of skill on the wing just three minutes into overtime, forcing Sanoussy Ba to turn the ball into his own net. Ball into his own net under pressure from Demirovic.
Nevertheless, Braunschweig responded with a different answer. Christian Conteh equalized with a superb goal after swivelling away from his opponent, and the hosts nearly snatched a sensational fifth when Conteh and Johan Gomez both came close. With the score tied at 44, the game went to penalties.
The shootout turned into an endurance test, with 20 spotkicks in all. Nubel made up for his previous blunder with three important saves, including one against Lukas Frenkert. Lorenz Assignon subsequently scored the game-winning penalty, causing jubilant celebrations among the Stuttgart players.
We got off to a terrible start, allowing far too many goals, which really hurt us. But in the end, things worked out nicely; we're done, and I'm quite pleased. According to goalkeeper Alexander Nubel, against a team like Eintracht, a game like this can always go either way.
After the narrow defeat, Eintracht Braunschweig custodian Ron-Thorben Hoffmann expressed mixed feelings. Of course it hurts a lot, but the pride outweighs the agony. I believe this was the definition of leaving everything on the field. We pushed the defending Cup champions to their limits.
Borussia Dortmund signs Chukwuemeka from Chelsea.
Borussia Dortmund has announced the permanent acquisition of English midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka from Premier League club Chelsea, according to a club statement released on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old, who impressed during a six-month loan stint with the Black and Yellows last season, has pledged his future to BVB with a deal that expires in June 2030. According to reports, Dortmund clinched the agreement for a cost of about 25 million euros (27 million US dollars), which is less than the original option agreed with Chelsea last winter.
Carney is a great talent who has already displayed glimpses of his potential with us in the second half of last season, according to sporting director Sebastian Kehl. He can make the difference in tight areas, offer midfield flair, and brings a dimension to our game that we appreciate greatly.
In the 2024/25 season, Chukwuemeka appeared in 17 games in all competitions for Dortmund, including four at the FIFA Club World Cup, scoring one goal in a 4-1 Bundesliga win against Freiburg.
Despite the fact that the midfielder was frequently used as an impact replacement owing to minor ailments, he demonstrated the coaching staff of his long-term potential. Head coach Niko Kovac is anticipated to use him more regularly this season.
Chukwuemeka himself expressed his joy at completing the deal. It feels amazing to be a vital component of Borussia Dortmund. Over the last few months, I've gotten to know the coach, my teammates, and particularly the supporters. I'm simply delighted that BVB is my new home, and I'll do all possible to assist the squad achieve its objectives.
