DFB-Pokal Review: Hertha and Fortuna through to the next round

First Round of DFB-Pokal action continues on Monday as a couple of 2. Bundesliga teams progressed into the next round.

Preußen Münster 0-0 (3-5 on penalties) Hertha Berlin

The 2. Bundesliga derby ended goalless after two hours of uneventful football. Both teams struggled at the start of the season, and they lacked the cutting edge in this cup tie as well.

The real drama started with the penalty shootout. After facing Bayern and Stuttgart in the previous two seasons, this was a perfect opportunity for Münster to reach the second round for the first time since 2022.

Their dream was shattered when Charalambos Makridis’s penalty hit the crossbar. That was the only failed attempt in the shootout as Sebastian Grönning converted Hertha’s fifth kick to send the capital city club to the second round.

Schweinfurt 2-4 Fortuna Düsseldorf

Daniel Thouine’s team struggled to create chances in the first-half, and they went into the half-time break a goal behind after Moritz Heyer’s handball from Lauris Bausenwein’s delivery.  Former Bayern academy player Manuel Wintzheimer scored the resulting penalty-kick for Schweinfurt.

Following a couple of half-time substitutions,.the 2. Bundesliga side improved after the break. They got their reward when Shinta Appelkamp put them level before Cedric Itten’s goal completed the comeback two minutes later. On his starting debut, Florent Muslija scored the third goal for the visitors in the 72nd minute.

Erik Shuranov reduced the deficit for the newly-promoted 3. Liga team, but Appelkamp’s third direct goal involvement sealed the win for Fortuna five minutes before time. Following two defeats at the start of the 2. Bundesliga season, Thioune’s Düsseldorf recorded their first win of the campaign against 3. Liga’s cellar-dwellers.