After Hertha BSC went bankrupt in the first round in the DFB Cup, no other Bundesliga clubs were exposed in “David versus Goliath” duels. Led by RB Leipzig and Borussia Mönchengladbach, eight first division teams moved into the second round (December 22nd / 23rd) on Saturday. Hertha’s local rivals Union Berlin, however, avoided embarrassment with a 1: 0 (0: 0) after extra time at second division Karlsruher SC.
In addition to Union and the Champions League participants Leipzig and Gladbach, VfL Wolfsburg, 1. FC Cologne, Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Augsburg and Werder Bremen also achieved successful dress rehearsals for the Bundesliga start next weekend. In contrast, second division Erzgebirge Aue unexpectedly dropped 0: 2 (0: 1) at regional division SSV Ulm. Aue’s league rivals VfL Bochum, VfL Osnabrück, SpVgg Greuther Fürth and Fortuna Düsseldorf successfully mastered their first round tasks against amateur clubs.
On the day after Hertha’s 4-5 disgrace at second division promoted Eintracht Braunschweig, Leipzig prevailed against second-rate old champions 1. FC Nürnberg 3-0 (1-0). Gladbach meanwhile walked through an 8-0 (5-0) against fifth division FC Oberneuland just as safely into the round of the best 32 as Cologne through a 6-0 (3-0) against regional division VSG Altglienicke and Augsburg 7-0 (2: 0) against top division club Eintracht Celle.
Wolfsburg asserted themselves a little more laboriously with a 4: 1 (2: 1) against fourth division Union Fürstenwalde and Frankfurt in a 2: 1 (0: 0) at third division 1860 Munich.
Union narrowly escaped the same fate as its big neighbor Hertha. In Karlsruhe, Nico Schlotterbeck saved the Köpenicker from penalties only two minutes before the end of extra time.
