FOrtuna Düsseldorf reached the DFB Cup semi-finals for the first time in 28 years in a football thriller FC San Pauli expelled from the competition. In the déjà vu duel of the 2. Bundesliga, the guests won the quarterfinals on Tuesday in Hamburg 4:3 (2:2, 1:1, 1:0) on penalties and avenged the league defeat three days earlier in Dusseldorf.
Vincent Vermeij (38th minute/penalty) and Ao Tanaka (99th) after an error by Pauli Cup goalkeeper Sascha Burchert, scored in the present match for Fortuna, who obtained a bonus of 3.45 million euros. Marcel Hartel (60º/penalty) and, in the last minute, Carlo Boukhalfa (120º+1) gave the victory to the leader of the second division. In the end, this was not enough for Pauli to reach their first cup semi-final since 2006. Most of the 29,546 Millerntor fans went home disappointed.
“The cup has its own laws,” Pauli coach Fabian Hürzeler warned shortly before the start of the match on the ZDF radio station. Your players shouldn't feel too confident after winning the league. In the early stages, this meant that both teams played very cautiously. the conclusion of Dusseldorf Tanaka took the first most dangerous shot on goal in the 15th minute, but it came to nothing.
Almost five minutes earlier, the Fortuna coach had Daniel Thioune With concern, Emmanuel Iyoha had to be substituted early in the match. Takashi Uchino came for him. So the task at Millerntor was no easier.
fortune board Klaus Allofs, who once won four cups as a professional, had previously stressed that reaching the semi-finals would be a “quantum leap” financially. Only three Bundesliga clubs, two other representatives from the second division and the third division club, 1. FC Saarbrücken, as possible rivals, are also excellent sporting prospects for the semi-finals to be drawn in February.
After just over half an hour, the video assistant clearly brought Düsseldorf closer to the semi-finals. Instead of awarding the penalty, referee Sascha Stegemann initially whistled for offside, but after checking he overturned the decision. Burchert had committed a clear foul on Vermeij in the area and the Düsseldorf player did not miss the opportunity from the penalty spot.
As a result, already at the beginning of the second half, the home team played more offensively. The match also became more heated. Hürzeler, who was complaining, received a yellow card from Stegemann shortly after the restart (51st). In this phase, Düsseldorf clearly retreated and waited for a counterattack.
Passivity was a punishment Saint Pauli With several offensive actions, Tanaka could only settle for a foul against Philipp Treu in the area. Hartel converted the penalty from the bottom left corner. The match little by little became a nervous match, with neither club being able to create clear scoring chances until the final phase.
So the game had to go to extra time, in which Hartel wasted a great opportunity to take the lead (97th). On the other hand, Burchert couldn't hold off a shot, Tanaka reacted quickly and scored. Shortly before the end, Hürzeler was sent to the locker room with yellow and red (120th), before Boukhalfa St. Pauli entered the area practically at the last second. penalty kick brought.
The winners of the match in the penalty shootout were goalkeeper Florian Kastenmaier with two saves and Christos Tzolis with the decisive goal.