BERLIN (AP) — Sven Ulreich saved former teammate Timo Werner’s penalty in a shootout to send Bayern Munich through to the third round of the German Cup at Leipzig’s expense on Wednesday. With the game deadlocked at 1-1 after extra
BERLIN (AP) — Sven Ulreich saved former teammate Timo Werner’s penalty in a shootout to send Bayern Munich through to the third round of the German Cup at Leipzig’s expense on Wednesday.
With the game deadlocked at 1-1 after extra time, both sides’ players converted their spot-kicks until Ulreich, who had been Werner’s teammate at Stuttgart, guessed correctly. He stopped the Germany forward’s shot from reaching the bottom right corner to give Bayern a 5-4 win on penalties.
“I’m just happy I could help the team,” said Ulreich, Bayern’s reserve in place of the injured Manuel Neuer.
Leipzig had played most of the game with 10 men after Naby Keita was sent off early in the second half, following his second yellow card for tugging back Robert Lewandowski. It was Keita’s third sending off in his last seven games for Leipzig or Guinea.
The home side might have had a penalty in the first half when Felix Zwayer pointed to the spot after Bayern midfielder Arturo Vidal brought Emil Forsberg down with a challenge from behind on the edge of the area.
Vidal was shown a yellow card when it could have been red, and Zwayer changed his decision for a free kick after consulting his linesmen, much to Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl’s chagrin on the sideline.
Tempers frayed at halftime when Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick wanted to show Zwayer a replay of the incident on his phone. In contrast to the Bundesliga, video assistance is not being used in the German Cup until the quarterfinals.
Leipzig’s hopes took another blow when Keita was sent off, but Zwayer gave the side a lifeline when he awarded a penalty after Yussuf Poulsen fell under Jerome Boateng’s challenge. Forsberg converted the spot kick in the 68th minute.
The lead only lasted five minutes with Boateng crossing for Thiago Alcantara to equalize.
Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi pulled out a brilliant double-save to keep his side in the game in extra time, minutes before Bayern substitute Kwasi Okyere Wriedt struck the crossbar and he could gratefully gather the ball. The 23-year-old Wriedt had come on for his Bayern debut.
Gulacsi then deflected Lewandowski’s effort onto the crossbar.
“We showed that we can compete with Bayern, even with a player less. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough in the end,” Forsberg said.
The sides meet again in the Bundesliga in Munich on Saturday.
Here is a look at Wednesday’s other action:
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CUP RESPITE
Both Cologne and Werder Bremen, winless in the Bundesliga, briefly forgot about league troubles with victories to progress to the third round.
Cologne enjoyed a 3-1 win at Hertha Berlin, while Bremen edged visiting Hoffenheim 1-0 thanks to Ishak Belfodil’s first-half strike.
Cologne scored as many goals through Simon Zoller, Dominic Maroh and Christian Clemens at Berlin’s Olympiastadion as it had in its entire league campaign to date.
Cologne, which parted company with Joerg Schmadtke as managing director on Monday, is bottom of the Bundesliga with seven defeats and two draws in nine games. It is also yet to win in the Europa League.
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FIRST WIN
Wolfsburg defeated Hannover 1-0 at home to give Martin Schmidt his first win as coach after five draws in the league.
Freiburg defeated second-division Dynamo Dresden 3-1 at home, Stuttgart won 3-1 at second-division Kaiserslautern, and second-division Nuremberg won 3-2 at third-tier side Osnabrueck.
Heidenheim eased to a 5-2 victory at second-division rival Jahn Regensburg.
