Leverkusen is fighting hard: a scarce DFB Cup victory against Jena

Leverkusen is fighting hard: a scarce DFB Cup victory against Jena

Bayer Leverkusen, the German champion and current Doubles winner, fought himself to the next DFB Cup round, but the way there was anything but clear. The Leverkusenians were more difficult than suspected against the regional league team FC Carl Zeiss Jena and were only able to set themselves decisively in the second half.

The crucial moment came in the 52nd minute when Jonas Hofmann carried the ball into the net by head and scored the 1-0 lead goal. A few promising opportunities in the first half, including a shot from Amine Adli, who landed on the post, was initially not followed in terms of goal area scenes. But Jena, whose players defended with remarkable courage, bravely resisted the impending defeat.

unusual difficulties for Bayer

The course of the game was a wake -up call for Bayer Leverkusen. The players were visibly frustrated about their own performance. "We know that we weren't good enough today," said Robert Andrich, Leverkusen's international, after the game. Despite the victory, there was no reason for euphoria, because against a regional league one had to show more dominance and danger of scoring. Simon Rolfes, the sports director, was also dissatisfied and criticized the lack of throughout his team during the game. The expectations of the reigning masters are high.

at a moment that the game could have overturned, Carl Zeiss Jena almost equalized in the 65th minute. Kay Seidemann started moving over the left side and seemed unstoppable on the way to the goal - if it didn't have been the Leverkusen goalkeeper Matěj Kovář, who had the ball safely in his hands at the very last moment.

under pressure in the final phase

In the last minutes of the game, Jena kept the pressure upright and showed that they would not give up without further ado. Another good opportunity for Jena were created in the 78th minute when Nils Butzen fired a shot on the Leverkusen Tor, which was parried by Kovář. The game remained exciting until the final minute, and the spectators in the arena rocated with every attack by the home side. Jena came to a 100 percent chance even in the first minute of stoppage time, which Hamza Muqaj could not use from a very short distance. A shot gate that had to annoy the regional league and the Leverkuseners probably had a relief.

The next Sunday will take place in the next cup round, and Bayer Leverkusen players will surely have some critical conversations to better prepare for the upcoming challenges. The way to the DFB Cup quarter-finals now remains open to the favorite, but the uncertainties that were shown in this game should be understood as a warning signal. Jena not only fought, but also showed that everything is possible in the cup.