Kaiserslautern snatch Pokal derby victory as Kanaté sinks Waldhof Mannheim
| Photo: Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images. |
After 120 minutes of pulsating action and crowd trouble galore, 1.FC Kaiserslautern defeated arch rivals SV Waldhof Mannheim 1-0 to March into the second round of the DfB Pokal – Ibrahim Kanaté the hero on the night.
This hotly-contested southwest derby started with a bang as the teams switched ends before kick-off. A pair of broken seats fired in the direction of Kaiserslautern shot-stopper Julian Krahl set the tone for a hostile evening.
Match arbiter Robert Schröder was kept on his toes, forcing play to stop after pyrotechnic smoke filled the Carl-Benz-Stadion. Krahl was soon forced into a fine save to deny Kushtrim Asallari's strike destined for the top corner.
Kaiserslautern also threatened when Paul Joly combined with Marlon Ritter, only for the latter to steer wide. Ultimately, it would end scoreless at the break, with the hosts happy to give up possession in favour of the odd counterattack.
Both sides had chances late on in a cagey second-half with SV Waldhof's Thill forcing a save, while substitute Ibrahim Kanaté fired wide at the other. Still, nobody could have foreseen the tense circumstances that unfolded next.
An on-field fracas between Ritter and some Mannheim players resulted in tempers spilling over into the stands. Projectiles and unrest led to police intervention which in turn forced 40-minute delay before extra-time began.
While the first 15-minute period passing by with few talking points, the next was full of opportunities. Fabian Kunze thought he had put the visitors in front, only for full-back Keumo to clear the ball off the Mannheim goal-line.
Dramatic scenes followed in the last minute as Newcastle loanee Alex Murphy teed up fellow substitute Kanaté to find the top-right corner. Cue celebrations for Kaiserslautern who reach the second round after a stunning derby win.
