It was only three weeks ago that Stefan Lex admitted that his team had been “partially played out” by the opponent. That was remarkable because his employer, TSV 1860 Munich, competed in the Bavarian association cup with a lower class opponent, TSV Buchbach, which can rightly be called a village club.
The 31-year-old offensive player Lex then did his part with an assist and a goal that TSV made it through the next round with a bang and 3-2. But that didn’t really improve the working atmosphere at the traditional club, which ranks sixteen in the third division, mainly because the strikers hardly score any more – Lex not even once in the current season.
And so there could hardly have been a more improbable hero in the second round of the DFB Cup against Schalke 04 on Tuesday evening for a very improbable victory. But Lex gave the Lions the early lead (5th), from an acute angle against the lower edge of the crossbar – it was a shot that would have been doomed to failure in the league. Lex later let Malick Thiaw brake him (48th) and made sure that the Lions played in the majority for almost one half – and that it was just enough against the favorites.
One, two, three, who’s got the ball? At least not Schalke’s goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann (right), Stefan Lex’s shot (left) slips through his legs into the goal.
(Photo: Eduard Martin / Jan Huebner / Imago)
In the end, of course, a second hero was needed: goalkeeper Marco Hiller made sure with his parades for the first zero game of the sixties since the end of July. Lex was calm and analytical after the game, and he immediately looked into the future: “If we always play with the intensity and the courage, then we will inevitably get points in the league again.”
And the analysis of the 1860 followers? “Berlin, Berlin, we’re going to Berlin!” They sang.
On Tuesday evening, a winning streak in league two and a poor draw streak in league three clashed, and thus very different moods. Munich trainer Michael Köllner had urgently asked the attendants to “shake” the Giesingen stadium, especially since full capacity was allowed for the first time with 15,000 spectators and the active fan scene had returned. Schalke’s trainer Dimitrios Grammozis, on the other hand, had assured that one does not go to Munich “to try something out”. Simon Terodde was then not allowed to try anything, the last successful attacker sat on the bench like several Schalke regulars. It was the sixties who tried their hand at: “We wanted to play aggressive pressing, put Schalke under pressure with his back three not to get into the game. You always want something like that,” said coach Köllner, “today it came true. “
Köllner’s other wish also came true. It shook quite a bit, the loudspeaker system was obviously overloaded and failed shortly after the announcer celebrated the goal. The goal in front of the west curve also shook when Lex hit the ball from ten meters (22nd). Over time, a match at eye level developed in which, as befits a cup outsider, every corner kick and every successful defensive action was cheered. Even more so when 1860 goalkeeper Hiller steered a Marcin Kaminski header onto the crossbar (31st).
“Eleven against eleven we were better than eleven against ten,” admits the goalscorer
Even if the sixties did not want to succeed in the second goal – the dismissal for Schalkes Thiaw seemed to be just as important for the further course. Lex had cleverly taken the ball, Thiaw tugged on the arm and seemed to know immediately which card referee Robert Kampka would hold out to him (48th). But: “Eleven against eleven we were better than eleven against ten,” said Lex. This is how an exciting game developed in which Schalke attacked not necessarily more dangerous, but always angrier. Chances arose by chance, like in the 71st minute, when Hiller dived in time after a blocked ball; or from a distance, when the goalkeeper directed a shot from Marius Bülter over the bar (79th).
15,000 fans were back in the stadium on Grünwalder Strasse.
(Photo: Heike Feiner / imago images / Eibner Pressefoto)
After a good hour, Terodde was allowed to take part. Ten minutes later, Köllner had to change his defense when right-back Yannick Deichmann and later Phillipp Steinhart left the pitch injured (72nd). After 82 minutes Lex stepped off the field to great applause, substitute Tim Linsbichler (82nd) and Sascha Mölders (84th) left the decision, which only became a certainty after five minutes of stoppage time.
Towards the end of last season, when the sixties were playing for promotion, the fans who were active again for the first time had written “Road to Gelsenkirchen” on a banner when the team set out for an away game. Then nothing came of the promotion, but Schalke have now been beaten anyway. And so the fans joined in the absolutely obvious chant that they will now be on their way to Berlin.