DFB-Pokal Gladbach survive 50 minutes down to beat KSC

DFB-Pokal Gladbach endured more than fifty minutes in the red to defeat KSC on Tuesday evening, advancing to the last‑16 despite playing a man down after Philipp Sander’s dismissal at the 39th minute. The victory came just four days after the club’s first Bundesliga win of the season.

Early strike and dismissal

Info Ticker Aufstellung Alle Spiele Rot für Sander summarised the match’s key moments. Robin Hack opened the scoring in the seventh minute, slipping the ball past Daniel Batz after a swift move through Shuto Machino and Joe Scally. Later, Philipp Sander received a red card in the 39th minute, just before Halbzeit, after a VAR review, reducing the side to ten men.

Second‑half goal and team shape

Lukas Ullrich, who entered the field at halftime, restored the lead in the 49th minute with a composed finish after a one‑two with Hack. The goal cemented the Team’s advantage and forced KSC to chase the game with ten men.

Blessin and Senft reactions

Alexander Blessin praised his side, saying, “So eine rote Karte kann einen Spielverlauf auch ändern. Dann geht es mehr oder weniger darum, über 50 Minuten zu leiden. Wir haben aber wenig bis gar nicht zugelassen.” He added that securing the 2‑0 result “war wichtig” and that the squad “sicher über die Bühne gebracht” the win.

KSC‑Trainer Maximilian Senft lamented on the Sportschau microphone, “Wir haben fahrlässig zu früh den Gegner eingeladen, dass er das 2:0 macht.” He warned that allowing the opponent to counter‑attack “darf uns auf keinen Fall passieren” and called the performance “sehr enttäuschend”.

Squad rotation and context

Borussia Mönchengladbach, sitting bottom of the Bundesliga, celebrated a 3‑2 win over VfB Stuttgart the previous weekend, their first league triumph of the campaign. Karlsruher SC entered the cup tie after a 1‑6 defeat to Magdeburg, highlighting their recent struggles. Wael Mohya and Florian Neuhaus remained on the bench, while former Karlsruhe player David Herold featured for Gladbach. Daniel Batz started between the posts, replacing Moritz Nicholas.

Game dynamics and chances

The opening exchanges were error‑prone, with Gladbach losing the ball in the centre circle before creating the early chance. KSC pressed high, but a long‑range effort from Lilian Egloff forced Batz into a save, and a subsequent off‑side call nullified a potential equaliser. In the second half, KSC’s attempts, including a weak shot from Rafael Pinto Pedrosa and a 35‑metre strike by Marvin Wanitzek, failed to trouble the defence.

Nach dem Spiel, the contrast between a Bundesliga‑bottom side and a second‑division opponent underlines Gladbach’s resilience as they move into the DFB‑Pokal last‑16. Their ability to defend compactly and capitalise on limited chances earned them a place in the next round.