Captain Marco Reus set up a stoppage-time equalizer and then scored the extra time winner himself in added-on time as Borussia Dortmund had a lucky escape into the second round of the German Cup on Monday, 2-1 at Greuther Fuerth.
2018/2019 DFB Pokal
1-2
Match Report
The second-division hosts led from Sebastian Ernst tap-in in the 77th after Dortmund's Christian Pulisic was denied by the outside post two minutes earlier.
But in the fifth and final minute of added-on time in regulation newly-signed Axel Witsel volleyed home Reus' cross from the left.
Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki then saved well from Lukas Gugganig and Fabian Reese in extra time, and when penalties were looming Reus smashed home Dortmund's winner in stoppage time.
It was a lucky victory for Dortmund and their new coach Lucien Favre, who advance into the second round which is drawn August 26 and played October 30 and 31.
"As expected Fuerth did a good job. It was a typical cup match. We are happy to have scored the winner in the last minute," Reus told Sky TV.
"We know we have a lot of work ahead of but we must also be happy with such a dirty win."
Freiburg also needed a stoppage-time equalizer, from Maike Frantz, before downing third-division Energie Cottbus 5-3 on penalties. Frantz levelled at 1-1, and following a 2-2 deadlock after 120 minutes Cottbus' Tim Kruse shot over the bar in the shoot-out.
Hertha Berlin prevailed 2-1 at third-tier Eintracht Braunschweig, courtesy of Vedad Ibisevic's 83rd-minute winner.
Line-ups
Greuther Fürth XI: R. Hilbert, M. Maloča, N. Omladič, S. Burchert, D. Keita-Ruel, S. Ernst, M. Wittek, J. Green, L. Gugganig, D. Atanga, M. Bauer
Subs: R. Magyar, S. Parker, T. Mohr, M. Funk, Reese, D. Raum, E. Abouchabaka
Borussia Dortmund XI: Ł. Piszczek, Schmelzer, M. Reus, R. Bürki, T. Delaney, Götze, Wolf, Diallo, Dahoud, M. Akanji, Pulisic
Subs: A. Witsel, Toprak, M. Hitz, Raphaël Guerreiro, Philipp, A. Hakimi, Sancho