Lilies advance to Round 2

In the DFB-Pokal match against VfB Lübeck, the Lilies had their first good opportunity after just four minutes: Luca Marseiler shot from the right of the penalty area, but the goalkeeper saved it. The hosts were by no means passive in the opening stages and had shots of their own in the 7th and 10th minutes, which Marcel Schuhen, however, easily saved.

As the game progressed, the Lilies increasingly established themselves in the opposing half and dominated the game. Lübeck, however, defended with discipline, closing down the spaces and allowing few breakthroughs. As a result, the visitors‘ apparent advantage remained devoid of any real scoring opportunities for a long time. It wasn’t until just over half an hour had passed that the 98ers came close to taking the lead when Marco Richter, following a cross from Marseiler, saw his effort saved by Diestel in the Lübeck goal on 32 minutes. Two minutes later, a set piece gave the South Hesse side the lead: After a corner, the home side couldn’t clear the ball, and Matej Maglica pushed the ball over the line from close range. However, Lübeck remained aggressive and looked for opportunities, especially on the counterattack.

The Lilies were well in control of the game until halftime, keeping things under control defensively but lacking a bit of attacking power and going into the dressing room with a 1-0 lead.

Three minutes after the interval, VfB attempted to score directly from a set piece, but Schuhen parried Thiel’s long-range effort. The picture remained largely unchanged afterward: The South Hesse side were solid defensively and conceded little, but too rarely found the decisive scoring opportunity to create a more comfortable cushion.

In the 70th minute, the Lilies had a promising counterattack opportunity: Fraser Hornby broke through on the right and brought the ball into the penalty area. Killian Corredor played the ball to the far post and found Marco Richter, whose shot from a tight angle went wide. Three minutes later, Hornby made it 2-0; as he rose unchallenged and planted a header into the net following a cross from the recently introduced Clemens Riedel.

In the closing minutes, the Lilies were in control and created several good chances. But instead of another goal for the South Hesse side, the home side scored a consolation goal when Becken scored in the first minute of stoppage time.