DFB Cup: Düsseldorf after a penalty shootout in the semi-finals – St. Pauli beaten for the first time since April

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Moment of redemption: Fortuna Düsseldorf won on penalties

Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

The first semi-finalist in the DFB Cup is Fortuna Düsseldorf. In the duel between the second division teams, Fortuna won 4:3 (1:0, 1:1, 2:2) on penalties against FC St. Pauli.

Düsseldorf's Vincent Vermeij (38th minute) and St. Pauli's Marcel Hartel (60th) each scored with a penalty kick before Ao Tanaka slipped the ball over the line after a goalkeeping mistake by Sascha Burchert (99th). In extra time, Carlo Boukhalfa brought hope back to the Millerntor with a header (120+1), before Fortuna prevailed.

For St. Pauli it was the first competitive defeat since April 21, 2023, when they lost 3-4 to Hamburger SV in the city derby.

Just three days earlier, the two clubs had met in the second Bundesliga, with St. Pauli extending their lead in the table with a 2-1 win in Düsseldorf. Double goalscorer Hartel was once again in the starting line-up for Hamburg, with Manolis Saliakas and Elias Saad rotating out of the starting line-up.

However, the newly formed left flank made up of Lars Ritzka and Etienne Amenyido remained just as pale before the break as the rest of coach Fabian Hürzeler's team. St. Pauli controlled the game effortlessly for the most part, but the home team almost never penetrated dangerously into the penalty area. St. Pauli also couldn't take advantage of the fact that Düsseldorf's right-back Emmanuel Iyoha had to leave the field injured early on (15'). Substitute Takashi Uchino kept the side close despite little match practice.

A lack of attention was enough for the Düsseldorf lead: Vincent Vermeij started deep and got the pass into the run, St. Pauli's cup goalkeeper Burchert unfairly took the striker off his feet in the penalty area. Using VAR, referee Sascha Stegemann first checked whether Vermeij was in an offside position - but the Dutchman was not in the forbidden zone when the pass was made and was rightly awarded the penalty, which Vermeij himself confidently converted (38').

Hürzeler resets St. Pauli to the factory settings

Hürzeler had seen enough: Amenyido stayed out for the second half and Saad came into the game. Philipp Treu changed his full-back position from the right to the left wing, Saliakas replaced Ritzka. This is how St. Pauli's field players had already formed up when they won the league, and this time too Hamburg's performance was better. The attacks now ended more often in the penalty area - and that's where Tanaka stepped on the foot of the advanced Treu. Stegemann again decided on a penalty, this time it was Hartel who beat Florian Kastenmeier (60th).

Little happened until the end of regular time; at the beginning of extra time, St. Pauli went for a power play. First substitute Maurides narrowly missed a cross (94th), then Philipp Treu dribbled his way into the six-yard box (95th), and Hartel finally shot over the Düsseldorf goal from close range after a mistake by Fortuna's Joshua Quarshie (96th).

That seemed to take revenge: Burchert fended off an inconspicuous long-range shot from Christoph Daferner, Tanaka was careful and slotted the ball into the goal with his left (99th). Hürzeler moved from the bench to the stands after yellow-red - just at that moment Boukhalfa headed the last chance of the game into the goal using the inside post (120.+1).

Kastenmeier becomes the match winner late on

In the penalty shootout, Burchert saved against Daferner. Kastenmeier, however, brought Fortuna back with brilliant performances against Maurides and twice against Marcel Hartel, whose first missed shot was repeated because the Düsseldorf keeper had moved too early. Christos Tzolis lofted the decisive penalty into the goal using a Panenka variation and brought Fortuna into the semi-finals.

There will also be a second division duel in the DFB Cup on Wednesday (8:45 p.m.), Hertha BSC will host 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Next Tuesday, VfB Stuttgart will play the top game at Bayer Leverkusen, before the surprise team Saarbrücken concludes the quarter-finals with a home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach the next day (8.45 p.m.).