Hamburg into Cup second round, Wolfsburg, Schalke through after drama

SV Hamburg easily beat third-division club SC Verl 3-0 to reach the second round of the German Cup on Monday, while fellow Bundesliga side Cologne had to come from behind to beat Würzburger Kickers 2-1.

Wolfsburg needed late goals in regular time and again in extra-time to beat fourth division VSG Altglienicke 6-5 on penalties and avoid a catastrophic start to the season.

Schalke, meanwhile, also flirted with elimination in a 5-2 win over fourth-division side Hallescher FC after extra-time.

Albert Grønbæk gave Hamburg the lead in the 41st minute and immediately picked up where he left off in the second half to score a brace in the 46th. Louis Lemke completed the win four minutes later.

“It was a wonderful Cup night for all spectators and a successful one for us, as we advanced to the next round,” Hamburg coach Merlin Polzin said.

Cologne fell behind when David Abrangao gave third-division Kickers the lead in the 18th.

But Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson was on target in the 62nd and then again in the 77th to turn the game around and save Cologne from becoming the first Bundesliga team out of the Cup.

Mehmet Ibrahimi gave the lead back to Altglienicke in the 109th, but Hauke Wahl levelled once more for Wolfsburg in the 117th.

Ibrahimi, however, missed one of Altglienicke’s two wasted penalties in the shoot-out.

Vin Kastull broke the deadlock for Hallescher, but Dejan Ljubicic equalized for Schalke, and Edin Dzeko thought he had scored the winner from the spot in the 81st.

But the game went into extra-time after Niclas Stierlin levelled for Hallescher in stoppage time.

Goals from Moussa Sylla and Junior Adamu, however, secured Schalke a spot in the next round, and Dzeko added a second to his name before the final whistle.

“This first round is very difficult, it’s the first match of the season. Today we were ok, but we have to do better,” Schalke newcomer Robin Gosens said.

There have been some minor surprises in the first round, as Rot-Weiss Essen of the third division won 2-0 at home against St Pauli, relegated from the Bundesliga last term.

Heidenheim, also relegated from the top tier last season, were humbled in a 5-2 defeat to fourth-tier Jeddeloh II.

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have their first-round ties in September due to Saturday’s Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup won 2-1 by Bayern. The holders visit second-tier VfL Osnabrück and Dortmund take on amateurs HEBC Hamburg.

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Hamburg’s Albert Groenbaek (C) celebrates scoring his side’s second goal with teammate Nicolas Capaldo (2nd L) during the German DFB Cup first round soccer match between SC Verl and Hamburg SV at Sportclub Arena. (is associated with: «Hamburg into Cup second round, Wolfsburg, Schalke through after drama») Friso Gentsch/dpa

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Cologne’s Isak Bergmann Johannesson celebrates scoring his side’s second goal during the German DFB Cup first round soccer match between Wuerzburger Kickers and 1. FC Cologne at AKON Arena. (is associated with: «Hamburg into Cup second round, Wolfsburg, Schalke through after drama») Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa

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Wolfsburg’s Maximilian Arnold celebrates scoring his side’s first goal during the German DFB Cup first round soccer match between VSG Altglienicke and VfL Wolfsburg at Stadion auf dem Wurfplatz (Amateur Stadium). (is associated with: «Hamburg into Cup second round, Wolfsburg, Schalke through after drama») Soeren Stache/dpa

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Hallescher’s Vin Kastull (R) celebrates scoring his side’s first goal with teammates during the German DFB Cup first round soccer match between Hallescher FC and FC Schalke 04 at Erdgas Sportpark. (is associated with: «Hamburg into Cup second round, Wolfsburg, Schalke through after drama») Hendrik Schmidt/dpa

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Schalke’s Edin Dzeko (C) celebrates scoring his side’s second goal with teammates during the German DFB Cup first round soccer match between Hallescher FC and FC Schalke 04 at Erdgas Sportpark. (is associated with: «Hamburg into Cup second round, Wolfsburg, Schalke through after drama») Hendrik Schmidt/dpa

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Hallescher FC players celebrate their side’s second goal during the German DFB Cup first round soccer match between Hallescher FC and FC Schalke 04 at Erdgas Sportpark. (is associated with: «Hamburg into Cup second round, Wolfsburg, Schalke through after drama») Hendrik Schmidt/dpa

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Hallescher’s Burim Halili (L) and Schalke’s Soufiane El-Faouzi battle for the ball during the German DFB Cup first round soccer match between Hallescher FC and FC Schalke 04 at Erdgas Sportpark. (is associated with: «Hamburg into Cup second round, Wolfsburg, Schalke through after drama») Hendrik Schmidt/dpa