SC had lost two games in the DFB-Pokal to the Wolves in previous years, but Julian Schuster’s men went into the encounter as favourites this time around. The third-placed team in the Bundesliga played host to the side sitting fourth in the 2. Bundesliga and ultimately left their home turf as winners.

Freiburg backed up their favourites tag in the opening stages, restricting the visitors to playing the ball in their own half before taking an early lead. In the sixth minute, Matanovic headed home from Christian Günter’s cross to make it 1-0.

Günter wasn’t the only new face in the starting XI. The coaching staff made six more changes to the side that started in the Bundesliga on Sunday. For the first time this season, Florian Müller started in between the sticks, but he was powerless to prevent Wolfsburg’s instant response to the opener. In the eighth minute, Kento Shiogai found himself in acres of space after a long ball forward and levelled the match up again at 1-1.

Max Rosenfelder, Cyriaque Irié, Vincenzo Grifo, Matanovic and Yannik Engelhardt, who was fit again following his minor hip injury, were the other new names on the team sheet. Jordy Makengo was unavailable due to a muscular problem, while Derry Scherhant missed out with a knock to his foot.

Pace down the left wing, Wolfsburg grow into the game

After the early goals, Wolfsburg started to grow into the game but struggled to contain SCF down the hosts’ left-hand side. The familiar telepathic relationship between Günter and Grifo was well and truly on show. “Our old reliable combination down the left flank worked well,” said Schuster after the final whistle. SCF had the most joy with attacks orchestrated by the “stalwarts down the left” and continued to set the tone, even though they didn’t have many clear-cut chances.

The away side, however, didn’t shrink from the challenge and had their moments, like Sael Kumbedi’s free kick from around 20 yards out in the 33rd minute which flew over the bar. For the most part, though, their defensive duties were their main focus. The Freiburg coaching staff were forced into a defensive change in the 38th minute. Philipp Treu sustained an unfortunate injury following a challenge and limped off the pitch. He was replaced by Lukas Kübler, who came on for his 250th competitive appearance for SCF.

Behind after a set-piece

By this point, the second-division opposition were well and truly in the game and had a significant say in proceedings, even going ahead after a set-piece situation. Shiogai was unmarked in the box following a corner and headed home to make it 2-1 in the 43rd minute. The hosts, on the other hand, had lost their rhythm. “We started the game very well, but we conceded both goals too easily and went into the break behind after three consecutive losses. But we still believed in ourselves and remained disciplined,” said Schuster to summarise the first half. In the second 45, he watched on as his team gave it their all to turn the game around.

After the restart, SCF strove to confine the action to the opponent’s half. Wolfsburg sat deep and hardly ventured out of their own half. Freiburg looked to have reaped the rewards of their sustained pressure, as they were awarded a penalty following a handball in the Wolves’ box. The celebrations were short-lived, however, since referee Sören Storks reversed his decision after consulting the pitchside monitor (55’).

Günter’s strike that seemingly put the hosts back on level terms three minutes later was also ruled out. Matanovic was standing in an offside position when he got a shot off that was parried into Günter’s path by Wolfsburg keeper Timon Wellenreuther. At this point of the match, the mood on the pitch and the atmosphere in the stands was electric. After that, Matanovic’s effort went narrowly wide twice, first after a corner and then following Grifo’s cross. SC were edging ever closer to an equaliser.

Goto wins it for SC

VfL were focussed solely on defending their goal at this stage, and they were punished in the 75th minute. Grifo’s delivery into the box found substitute Keisuke Goto, who headed home to make it 2-2. The leveller gave the home side a second wind for the closing minutes of normal time. They had 60% possession, while every single Wolfsburg player was behind the ball.

In added time, Freiburg would be rewarded for a determined, battling second-half performance. The winner came courtesy of two substitutes. From his own half, Philipp Lienhart had the vision to play a perfectly timed ball over the top to Goto who had set off on a run in the VfL half. The Japan international was one-on-one with Wolfsburg’s onrushing keeper and lobbed the ball deftly over Wellenreuther to make it 3-2, with a brace from the Japanese forward securing SCF’s spot in the next round. “Today showed once again that our substitutes are always ready. Kübi was, Keisuke was, and I’m really happy that we managed to turn this game around,” said Schuster.

Photo: Achim Keller