Daily Schmankerl: DFB-Pokal recap, BVB targets to replace Sancho, Frauen advance in UWCL, Bayern plays trick or treat

The DFB-Pokal asks, are you not entertained?

Yesterday’s action in the DFB-Pokal was even wilder than the day before.

The top game of the day lived up to the billing as Borussia Dortmund survived with a 2-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, currently in 1st place in the Bundesliga table. The guests took the lead in the 71st minute, but Julian Brandt saved the day and perhaps also his coach’s job with a rapid-fire brace in the 77th and 80th minutes. BVB thus overcame the absence of Marco Reus and Mats Hummels to fight another day.

In Berlin, Hertha topped Dynamo Dresden 5-4 on penalties, after both ended regular time tied 2-2 and extra time 3-3. Some 35,000 Dresden fans brought the heat to Berlin, creating a wild scene with chants, a “Yellow Madness” choreo, and abundant pyrotechnics.

Eintracht Frankfurt took a 2-0 lead over St. Pauli and managed to see the victory out to the end, despite conceding a goal near the end of the first half. Bas Dost’s return to the Bundesliga with Eintracht has recalled his breakthrough with Wolfsburg way back when in 2015/16.

Speaking of Wolfsburg... woof! The Volkswagen club must have tanked up on tainted diesel. They treated their home fans to a 1-6 debacle against RB Leipzig. First blood came in the form of an own-goal off of Jeffrey Bruma. The score stayed 1-0 until the second half when Leipzig piled on three more goals in a handful of minutes (Sabitzer, 55’; Forsberg, 58’; Laimer, 61’). Timo Werner added a fifth and sixth goal by the end of the match.

Werder Bremen dispatched Heidenheim 4-1, Düsseldorf beat Aue 2-1, Kaiserslautern edged FC Nürnberg on penalties 6-5, and last but not — well, actually, yes, least: 4th-division side SC Verl, based about 100 km northeast of Dortmund, scored early and conceded just one goal to Holstein Kiel from the 2. Bundesliga over 120 minutes and advanced 8-7 on penalties! So two fourth-division sides will advance to the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal. In other words, Bayern Munich has a one-in-eight chance of playing a team from the fourth division next. Wild!

Borussia Dortmund already identifying targets to replace Sancho (Bild+)

Jadon Sancho has catapulted himself to the top of many clubs’ buy lists. Just 19 years old, Sancho had performed outstandingly in back-to-back seasons for Dortmund, effectively benching Christian Pulisic (now at Chelsea) last season and delivering yet again for BVB this season — so far, with four goals and seven assists across competitions. With a market value of around €100m, it’s no secret that his time in Germany might come to an end sooner rather than later. Here is what Bild has to say:

Therefore the Dortmund bosses are already planing for the post-Sancho era. According to Sport Bild’s information, two names are on the understudy list for Sancho: Javairô Dilrosun (21/Hertha BSC) and Ferrán Torres (19/FC Valencia).

Both will are being observed at the winger position by the scouting department of BVB.

Like Sancho, Dilrosun transferred from ManCity to the Bundesliga (contract in Berlin until 2022). The Dutchman was trained at Ajax Amsterdam and currently has a market value of €12m. But in contrast to Sanco, Dilrosun attacks mostly on the left-hand side at Hertha, but can be positioned variably in the offense.

Torres is under contract in Valencia until 2021. His market value is €20m; the club has to let him leave to collect a reasonable transfer fee.

Of course lots of other big clubs are also scouting these players, so who knows?

FC Bayern Frauen headed to the Quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League

The Frauen dispatched Kazygurt with a brace by Carina Wenninger to advance to the quarterfinals of the UWCL. Auf geht’s, Mädels!

Take a moment to appreciate the awesomeness of Serge Gnabry

Brazzo in rare form after Bayern’s embarrassing near loss to Bochum!

If you missed it yesterday, check out our English transcription of Hasan Salihamidzic’s post-game interview, in which he ironically praised Bayern for its “awesome game” and declined to indulge the press with any meaningful analysis of Bayern’s horrible performance in the DFB-Pokal against VfL Bochum.

Oliver Bierhoff says DFB could recall Mats Hummels (Transfermarkt)

Surprise, surprise. Now that Germany has lost its best central defender, Niklas Süle, to a season-ending ACL tear, putting his participation in Euro 2020 in doubt, the manager of the German national team is backpedaling furiously on the supposedly definitive decision of Joachim Löw never to call up Mats Hummels (and Jerome Boateng and Thomas Müller) again.

On Sky, Bierhoff said it was unfortunate that “the image arose as if it was a definitive exclusion from the national team.” Gosh, isn’t that exactly how Löw phrased? I vaguely remember both Mats Hummels and especially Thomas Müller being very upset about their forced retirement. Bierhoff now claims,

I always said we have not bade any player farewell. If we had done that, we would have given them a bouquet and a gift at an international match.

Gosh golly, maybe Müller and Boateng can hope for a comeback someday too then!

Bayern Munich celebrates Halloween

Bild published a story with photos but stuck it behind a paywall, so pause for a moment to thank the good folks at @iMiaSanMia:

Clockwise from top left: the Lewandowskis, Coman and partner, Thiago and wife Julia Vigas, and Leon Goretzka (lol)

But wait, it gets better!

Serge Gnabry (left), Lukas Mai and Ron-Thorben Hoffman (top right), and David Alaba and partner Shalimar (bottom right):

Maradona is not your everyday coach

The only thing shocking about this story is that Maradona did not buy and bring the “throne” (armchair) himself. It was a gift from the opposing team.

Yellow card photo-op for Kakà

A new Lavamintstrosity rears its head south of the Alps