Status: 10/27/2021 8:22 p.m.
Second division Karlsruher SC managed to surprise the cup with a lot of commitment, efficiency, luck and a little help from Lukas Hradecky. Bayer Leverkusen is out.
KSC won 2-1 (1-0) in Leverkusen on Wednesday evening (October 27th, 2021). Lucas Cueto (4th minute) and Kyoung-rok Choi (63rd) scored the goals for Baden, Jeremie Frimpong the interim equalizer (54th).
Bayer active – KSC effective
The game had barely started when the outsider was already ahead. After a cross from the left, Philipp Hofmann headed in the middle. Lukas Hradecky parried, but was only able to let the demanding ball bounce off the front – and because no Leverkusen player reacted, but Cueto resolutely pursued it, the score was 0: 1.
KSC was in the lead, but Bayer was the much more active team and pushed for equalization after falling behind. Moussa Diaby (10th) and Amine Adli (12th) narrowly missed the Karlsruhe goal on very promising opportunities. Because Bayer made a few inaccuracies and defended the table eighth of the 2nd division in a very disciplined manner, the latter survived the Werkself’s interim assault without damage and, above all, condensed the center very successfully.
Hradecky’s momentous goat
Shortly after the break, the KSC almost had to accept the equalizer when he let the defensive protection drag a little after a corner of his own. Actually, the ball-carrying Diaby and the Paulinho who ran along had all the options against Christoph Kobald, who was hurrying back alone, but Diaby missed the right moment to pass the ball and Kobald was able to clear. In the 54th minute, Frimpong and Adli made it much better, played one-two on the right in the penalty area and Frimpong confidently executed it into the left corner. The compensation was deserved.
Shortly afterwards, however, Hradecky tore down the troubles of those in front of him with his own hands. The Bayer goalkeeper wanted to hit a long pass with the ball at his foot, but had no success at all. Instead, the Finn shot the ball to Choi, who was just a few meters in front of him and who calmly brought KSC back into the lead.
Usury of opportunities at Bayer
Gerardo Seoane had seen enough and brought Florian Wirtz and Kerem Demirbay for the final offensive. Indeed, Bayer promptly became more dominant again and started running. But the blue and white bolt held – with luck. Because the substitute Leverkusen top talent Iker Bravo had the almost empty goal in the 78th minute after Adli’s cross pass, but shot over it from almost ten meters and could not believe it himself. Leverkusen also had real chances in the final phase and with all due respect for KSC’s performance, they somehow defeated themselves after 95 minutes.
For Bayer Leverkusen The Bundesliga will continue on Saturday (October 31, 2021) with the home game against the troubled VfL Wolfsburg, which will arrive with the new coach Florian Kohfeldt. The KSC receives SC Paderborn in the 2nd division on Sunday. The round of 16 in the DFB Cup will be drawn on Sunday in the Sportschau, the games will then take place on January 18 and 19, 2022.
Source: sportschau.de