DFB-Pokal roundup: Frankfurt, Freiburg beat 2nd-tier teams

Berlin, Feb 7, 2023 (AFP) - France striker Randal Kolo Muani scored two and assisted another as Eintracht Frankfurt defeated visiting derby rivals Darmstadt 4-2 on Tuesday in the German Cup Round of 16.

The five-time German Cup winners needed to come from behind for the victory and once again it was in-form Kolo Muani who proved crucial for the home side.

Despite Darmstadt sitting a division below Frankfurt, the visitors sit atop the Bundesliga 2 table and have lost only one game in all competitions this season.

Frankfurt, who have only lost once since mid-October, hit the lead after just six minutes through Kolo Muani, whose perfectly weighted header evaded the outstretched fingertips of Darmstadt keeper Marcel Schuhen.

The home side almost doubled their lead 15 minutes later through midfielder Mario Gotze, but the 2014 World Cup winner's shot was well blocked by Schuhen at point blank range.

Darmstadt then turned the game on its head, scoring twice in two minutes through Mathias Honsak to take the lead.

The first came when Darmstadt's pressing forced Frankfurt captain Sebastian Rode into an error, while the second was a length of the field effort kick-started by a long pass from Schuhen and finished by cool shot from Honsak.

With scores locked 2-2 at halftime, Kolo Muani helped the home side reclaim the lead after 62 minutes, heading a cross into the path of Japan's Daichi Kamada who hammered home.

Kolo Muani added another in the last minute of regular time, Gotze catching Darmstadt on the break to find the France striker in space, who side-footed home.

Freiburg leave it late

Earlier, Austrian defender Philipp Lienhart scored an 87th-minute header to help Freiburg earn a 2-0 win at Sandhausen on Tuesday to book a place in the German Cup quarter-finals.

Last season's losing finalists Freiburg, currently sixth in the Bundesliga, outplayed their second-division opponents but the game looked set to go into extra time before Lienhart glanced the ball into the net from a Vincenzo Grifo corner.

After the match, an exhausted Lienhart credited his side for "rewarding ourselves" after "a hard bit of work".

Striker Nils Petersen, brought off the bench with less than 10 minutes to play, added a second in the fifth minute of injury time to put the game beyond doubt.

Freiburg dominated the first half, with midfielder Grifo creating a number of half chances for striker Michael Gregoritsch and centre-back Lukas Kubler.

Kubler went closest in the dying stages of the first half, latching onto a Grifo free-kick but heading the ball centimetres wide of the post.

Gregoritsch had another chance in the 62nd minute, rising unmarked to reach a cross from Roland Sallai but putting the ball just wide.

Sandhausen have now lost four of their past five games and currently sit in 15th in the second division, one point off last spot.

A disappointed Sandhausen manager Alois Schwartz told Sky his side fought hard but were outclassed against opponents who made it through to the Europa League Round of 16 undefeated.

"Unfortunately we lost the game, but we know who we played against."

They sat deep and looked content to push the match into extra time, having defeated neighbouring Karlsruhe 8-7 on penalties in the previous round.

On Wednesday, Nuremberg host Fortuna Dusseldorf in an all second division clash, while 2020-21 winners Borussia Dortmund travel to Bochum.