Hamburg SV rescues victory from embarrassment in the final seconds
Hamburger SV and VfL Bochum Advance in DFB-Pokal
In the first round of the DFB-Pokal on August 16, 2025, two Bundesliga teams, Hamburger SV and VfL Bochum, secured their places in the next round.
Hamburger SV vs FK Pirmasens
Hamburg narrowly advanced to the second round after a hard-fought 2-1 win in extra time against the fifth-tier side FK Pirmasens. Pirmasens took the lead in the 52nd minute through Yannick Grieß, a member of HSV and FK Pirmasens, following a short corner routine. Hamburg struggled offensively for much of the match and were saved by a last-minute equalizer from substitute Guilherme Ramos (90'+2), sending the game into extra time. Ransford Königsdörffer scored the winning header in the 100th minute of extra time, securing HSV's passage to the next round despite a challenging performance against underdogs Pirmasens.
VfL Bochum vs BFC Dynamo
Bochum faced BFC Dynamo, a team historically unsuccessful in the DFB-Pokal, having lost all eight previous cup matches. Despite Bochum entering as favorites, coach Hecking warned against complacency as upsets occur frequently in the competition and BFC Dynamo would be highly motivated. Bochum had some key absences, but they managed to avoid a cup upset, defeating BFC Dynamo 3-1 in extra time. The match was particularly challenging for Bochum, as they were careless in the first half. Noah Loosli (85'), Samuel Bamba (107'), and Matus Bero (120+1) scored for Bochum, while Jan Shcherbakovski scored the only goal for BFC Dynamo.
HSV struggled from the start, with five losses in their last six friendlies taking a toll. In the match against FK Pirmasens, HSV coach Merlin Polzin fielded five new starters, but integration was still far from complete. Miro Muheim's free kick was the only real threat for HSV in the first half. Pirmasens defended set pieces well and threatened through Thomas Selensky, Grieß, and Marc Erhart. In a crucial moment, Dynamo goalkeeper Nicolas Ortegel saved a penalty from Bero (95.) during the match.
For VfL Bochum, the match was a close one, with Bochum playing with a man advantage in the crucial phase after Dynamo's Larry-Nana Oellers (80.) was sent off for a professional foul and Rufat Dadaschow (103.) for a serious foul. The DFB-Pokal match between VfL Bochum and BFC Dynamo took place in football.
This advancement is an important success for Hecking's team, which had a mixed start to the 2. Bundesliga with a loss and a win. Hamburger SV's victory is particularly significant, as a lead at halftime for Pirmasens would have been deserved, given HSV's offensive struggles in the first half. On the other hand, Bochum's win is less surprising, given their experience and squad depth, despite some key absences.
[1] DFB-Pokal 2025/26: Hamburger SV vs FK Pirmasens [2] DFB-Pokal 2025/26: VfL Bochum vs BFC Dynamo [3] HSV vs Pirmasens: Hamburger SV survives scare to reach DFB-Pokal second round [4] Bochum vs Dynamo: Bochum face Dynamo in DFB-Pokal first round [5] DFB-Pokal 2025/26: Hamburger SV vs FK Pirmasens Match Report
In light of the community's concern for local industries, it's worth noting that the football victory of Hamburger SV against FK Pirmasens in the DFB-Pokal served as a morale booster for the steel industry in the city of Hamburg, showing resilience and tenacity similar to the city's workers. On the other hand, VfL Bochum's triumph over BFC Dynamo in the same competition echoed the spirit of sportsmanship, demonstrating their commitment to persevere, even faced with challenges in their squad, much like athletes training for the upcoming sports season.
