Hertha BSC managed to overcome 1. FC Saarbrücken in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, ultimately prevailing 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out. The match remained tied 1-1 after regular time and extra periods. Paul Seguin put the Berlin team ahead in the 69th minute with a fine long-range shot. However, Saarbrücken leveled the score in the second minute of stoppage time in the second half when Philip Fahrner struck the goal from 18 meters with a dropkick after deflecting a corner kick. During extra time, Hertha pressed for a decisive goal, but both Luca Schuler and Josip Brekalo missed opportunities. Saarbrücken defended strenuously, forcing the match into penalties. In the shoot-out, Hertha goalkeeper Marius Gersbeck saved the penalty kick of Saarbrücken captain Florian Pick and the shot from Kai Brünker, while all of Hertha’s designated shooters successfully converted their kicks.
In a separate match, Viktoria Köln faced 1. FC Nürnberg, which also headed to penalties. Nürnberg secured the victory 5-4. Similar to the first game, the match was tied 1-1 after regular time and extra periods. After a goalless first half, Nürnberg took the lead in the 56th minute thanks to Piet Scobel. However, Viktoria Köln managed to equalize during the sixth minute of stoppage time in the second half, pushing the match into extra time. As the game proceeded into extra time, both teams were clearly fatigued, resulting in few chances of scoring. Despite both sides fighting fiercely, the score remained 1-1, forcing the decision into penalties. On the Köln side, Pascal Fallmann, Niklas Swider, and Niklas Jahn missed their kicks, while the Nürnberg team only failed to convert twice, featuring Giannis Masouras and Javier Fernandez. These successful penalties allowed Nürnberg to advance to the second round of the DFB-Pokal.
