German Cup holders exit the competition at the hands of a second-string Wolves
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 31.10.23. | 22:45
Wolfsburg edge past RB Leipzig thanks to a Vaclav Cerny strike
RB Leipzig have won the DFB-Pokal in the last two seasons and are doing well in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League. But they won't retain the German national cup! On Tuesday night, Marco Rose's team crashed out of the competition at the round of 32 stage.
After suffering three consecutive losses, Wolfsburg's coach Niko Kovac made several changes. In total, he introduced eight new players compared to the 2-3 loss against Augsburg. This meant that captain Arnold and top scorer Wind, among others, began the match on the bench.Rose, made only two changes compared to their 6-0 victory over Koln. Gulacsi started in goal instead of Blaswich, and Poulsen replaced Simakan.
Despite numerous changes, Wolfsburg needed little time to adapt. While Leipzig controlled the game, it was the Niedersachsen side that posed a greater threat, capitalizing on errors.
Just 24 seconds into the game, Tiago Tomas missed a chance for an early lead after a mistake by Raum. Vaclav Cerny, on the other hand, was clinical. Following a well-placed through ball from Tomas, the right-winger placed the ball under the crossbar, marking his first goal in a VfL Wolfsburg shirt with a baby celebration.
The Czech player could have added a second goal just ten minutes after his debut goal, but a misunderstanding between Gulacsi and Lukeba prevented him from doing so. This misunderstanding between the goalkeeper and the defender symbolized Leipzig's performance in the first 45 minutes: the Saxony team appeared unfocused and therefore posed few problems for Wolfsburg's compact defence.
More goal-threatening action occurred in the first few moments after the second half began, albeit somewhat accidentally. Raum's deflected cross struck the left crossbar. In the midst of trying to increase pressure, Poulsen made a mistake, receiving a second yellow card for a reckless challenge after a previous booking.
Despite being a player down, Leipzig remained in control of the game, and Wolfsburg continued to focus on defensive work. Nonetheless, the home side had better opportunities. As a result, Leipzig was eliminated from the DFB-Pokal in the second round, after winning the competition in the previous two seasons.
