A historic afternoon at Stadion Lichterfelde. For the first time, FC Viktoria Berlin reached the DFB-Cup Round of 16. In perfect November weather, they faced off against second-division side FC Carl Zeiss Jena. With one league separating the teams, FC Viktoria clearly took on the underdog role.
Jena Favourites Only On Paper
However, this underdog dynamic was barely noticeable during the match. From the first minute, FC Viktoria was fully engaged and, at times, outplayed Jena. FC Viktoria launched the first attack of the game through Danya Barsalona, whose shot caused uncertainty for Jena's goalkeeper Jasmin Janning (1').
The offensive line-up of Barsalona, Nina Ehegötz, Aylin Yaren, and Kim Urbanek applied immense pressure. In the 10th minute, a free kick nearly led to the opening goal. Shortly after, Viktoria’s central defender made a brilliant clearance on the other end (11').
Balanced Match Against A Higher-Ranked Team
The match developed into a thrilling contest, both offensively and defensively, with Viktoria controlling much of the first half. Yaren came twice close to make it 1-0 (25', 26'), before Ehegötz sent the stadium into ecstasy: 1-0 to the regional league side. After a cross from the right, the ball seemed to have been cleared, but Ehegötz managed to slot it home (29').
Unfortunately, that was Viktoria's only goal of the afternoon. After a corner, Jena’s Bente Fischer struck several players, and the ball ended up in Viktoria’s net for an unlucky equaliser (39'). Just before the half-time whistle, in stoppage time, Hannah Mesch scored the 2-1 lead for Jena after a well-executed play (45'+1).
Jena Takes Control Of The Match
Jena came back from the break with more energy and took control of the game. However, FC Viktoria defended strongly and still managed to create offensive chances (49', 64', 71'), though not with the same intensity as in the first half. Instead, Jena's Hannah Mesch added another goal to make it 3-1 (65').
The sky-blue hosts didn’t give up, remaining at least on par with their opponents, and even hit the crossbar late in the game. On this exciting day, Viktoria’s only shortfall was in finishing their chances.
Special mention must go to FC Viktoria's goalkeeper, Inga Buchholz. Time and again, she not only kept the scoreline in check but also pulled off some incredible saves. Whether it was a quick reaction from close range (28') or a stunning tip over the bar after a long-range shot (41'), Buchholz delivered around nine brilliant saves. Unfortunately, despite the team's strong performance, it wasn’t enough to advance to the quarter-finals. However, Viktoria’s ambitions were clearly demonstrated.
A Special Match, Also Online.
Another highlight of the day was the live stream broadcast. Alongside the 1,050 fans in the stadium, an average of 500 viewers tuned in to the stream, hosted by Luis Benito Jörger and commentator Philipp Höppner.
For FC Viktoria, the season isn’t over yet. On Saturday, 9th December, they face a Regionleague Northeast catch-up match against 1. FFV Erfurt. Kick-off is at 11 a.m.
Line-up:
Buchholz - Grosch (75' Casanovas), Höfker, Lux, Trapp - Gerken (66' Friedl), Sänger - Ehegötz, Yaren, Barsalona (66' Wasiak) - Urbanek
Goals:
1-0 Ehegötz (29')
1-1 Own goal by Sänger (39')
1-2 Mesch (45'+1)
1-3 Mesch (65')
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