Werder Bremen fought their way through a real cup thriller in beating the amateurs from FV Illertissen 3-2 to reach the second round of the German DFB Cup for the first time...
Werder Bremen fought their way through a real cup thriller in beating the amateurs from FV Illertissen 3-2 to reach the second round of the German DFB Cup for the first time...
Werder Bremen fought their way through a real cup thriller in beating the amateurs from FV Illertissen 3-2 to reach the second round of the German DFB Cup for the first time in three years. The goals were scored by Izet Hajrovic, Assani Lukimya and Davie Selke.
Hajrovic puts Werder ahead
Werder coach Robin Dutt began the cup match in Illertissen with three new acquisitions as Hajrovic, Fin Bartels and Alex Gálvez started for the Green-Whites. And Werder had the perfect start to the match as they went ahead 1-0 after four minutes. Hajrovic sent a free kick into the box where an Illertissen player handled the ball. Hajrovic took over the responsibility himself and converted into the FV Illertissen goal to make it 1-0.

Equaliser through Nebel
The fourth division Regionalliga side was not shaken by the early goal and gave Werder a hard fight. Bremen were less than solid and conceded the 1-1 equaliser goal in the 25th minute. Moritz Nebel was poorly covered in the box on a free kick and beat Raphael Wolf from a short distance. The fans saw an intensive match in which Werder had the better chances but were unable to use them. In the 28th minute, Cedrick Makiadi was stopped from six yards out by keeper Patrick Rösch and Gálvez's header six minutes later was just off target of the Illertissen goal, leaving the score even at 1-1 at the break.
Hajrovic hits the bar
Dutt reacted to the 1-1 score and brought on Selke for Bartels for the second half and the Green-Whites had the first chance in the 48th minute with Hajrovic blasting a free kick off the crossbar. In the 64th minute, Illertissen keeper Rösch made a save on Eljero Elia and Werder were lucky on the ensuing counter attack that Andreas Spann shot wide of Wolf's goal. Dutt's men got more and more nervous and the second 45 minutes were a tough battle in which Illertissen held their own. There were no more goals in the second half and the game went into extra time.
Crazy extra time
Things got quite crazy in the extra time. Lukimya gave Werder the lead 2-1 in the 93rd minute with a header off a pass from Zlatko Junuzovic. And the Green-Whites added another goal just six minutes later as Felix Kroos's volley attempt off a corner went to Selke, who deflected the ball in with his heel to make it 3-1. Illertissen made things interesting again in the 102nd minute through Marc Hämmerle's goal to make it 3-2. Werder were barely able to hold the lead over the final 18 minutes to move into the second round.
