Frankfurt 1-1 Dortmund (2-4 on pens): BVB qualify through penalty shootout

Borussia Dortmund are into the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal after a dramatic battle. BVB won 4-2 in the penalty shoot-out away at Eintracht Frankfurt. The two sides had been deadlocked at 1-1 (0-1, 1-1) after 120 minutes. Gregor Kobel was the hero, saving a penalty.

Match Report

Latching on to a Mario Götze pass, Ansgar Knauff scored 1-0 in the seventh minute – of all people, it was the two ex-Borussians who set the tone in a tightly contested game, which BVB largely dominated for 70 minutes, but only really threatened once the second half had kicked off. Julian Brandt converted Julian Ryerson’s pass for an equaliser early in the second half – a historic moment: BVB’s 500th goal in the DFB-Pokal). There were chances for both sides, but no more goals even after extra time, so the game went to a penalty shoot-out, in which all four Dortmund takers scored, while Frankfurt missed two penalties.

The scenario:  

The teams had reached the second round with wins over Engers and Essen respectively. Borussia had lost only one of eight league games against Eintracht since April 2021. The first two cup games had gone to the side from the Hesse, but the three most recent games to BVB.

Personnel matters:  

Except for Emre Can and Julien Duranville, who are making further progress in training, and Ramy Bensebaini (back pain), the entire squad was available. Three days after the intense match against 1. FC Köln (1-0), head coach Niko Kovac made five changes: Jobe Bellingham, Julian Brandt, Maxi Beier, Marcel Sabitzer and Aaron Anselmino slipped into the starting eleven for Bensebaini (injured), Felix Nmecha, Pascal Groß, Carney Chukwuemeka and Serhou Guirassy (all on the bench).

Tactics:   

It was a meeting of two teams with the same formation (3-4-3), but different approaches. SGE largely allowed BVB to have the ball, dropping deep, then switched into a 5-4-1, playing the ball fast and far forward when they won the ball, almost exclusively down the left-hand side. Borussia tried to keep a high line and press their opponents high up the pitch. Anton took the central position in the back three; Anselmino played on the right, Schlotterbeck on the left. Up front, BVB lined up just as they did in the Mainz match: without Guirassy, but with Beier centrally, and Adeyemi and Brandt slightly behind him.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

7' GOAL! Frankfurt 1-0 Dortmund (Ansgar Knauff)

35' Highlight from Frankfurt vs Dortmund

37' Match Event for Frankfurt vs Dortmund

40' Highlight from Frankfurt vs Dortmund

48' GOAL! Frankfurt 1-1 Dortmund (Julian Brandt)

67' Highlight from Frankfurt vs Dortmund

69' Highlight from Frankfurt vs Dortmund

77' Highlight from Frankfurt vs Dortmund

79' Match Event for Frankfurt vs Dortmund

81' Highlight from Frankfurt vs Dortmund

91' Match Event for Frankfurt vs Dortmund

102' Match Event for Frankfurt vs Dortmund

115' Highlight from Frankfurt vs Dortmund

117' Match Event for Frankfurt vs Dortmund

Line-ups

Frankfurt XI: Gotze, Michael Zetterer, Koch, Ritsu Doan, Rasmus Kristensen, Jonathan Burkardt, Ansgar Knauff, Arthur Theate, Hugo Larsson, Nathaniel Brown, Farès Chaïbi

Subs: Batshuayi, Skhiri, Dahoud, Elye Wahi, Nnamdi Collins, Aurèle Amenda, Can Uzun, Jean-Mattéo Bahoya, Kauã Santos

Dortmund XI: Sabitzer, Brandt, Anton, Kobel, Ryerson, Adeyemi, Schlotterbeck, Beier, Daniel Svensson, Jobe Bellingham, Aarón Anselmino

Subs: Gross, Meyer, Sule, Guirassy, Özcan, Fábio Silva, Nmecha, Yan Couto, Chukwuemeka