DFB Cup review, Second Round: Lucas up front, Lukas at the back

Second Round, 29.10.2019: Bayer 04 v SC Paderborn 07 1-0 (1-0 )

The second round tie not only gave the Werkself a desired home game but also the second meeting of the season with SC Paderborn at the BayArena within a short space of time. In the Bundesliga fixture two months earlier, the newly-promoted club showed with their attacking approach that they were no-pushovers and they caused Leverkusen problems in the 3-2 home win. In contrast to the “full-on performance”, as the Kölner Express described the league encounter, both teams were stingy with goals on the night despite a lively start to the game.

The match between two very attacking teams was decided in the end by a single goal. A cross from Mitchell Weiser was rather fortuitously flicked on by Karim Bellarabi to Lucas Alario, who impressively demonstrated his qualities as a goal-getter when he controlled the ball and fired a left-foot volley into the right corner of the net (25’). Paderborn did press in the closing stages but their best chance from Streli Mamba was kept out by Lukas Hradecky with a brilliant reaction save in a one-on-one. “We missed out on scoring the second goal and that’s why it was tight right to the end and cost a lot of energy and strength. But we’re very happy to be through to the Round of 16,” said Lucas Alario after the game.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Hradecky – L. Bender (Retsos 31’), Tah, Dragovic – Baumgartlinger – Bellarabi, Havertz, Amiri (Demirbay 71’), Weiser – Alario, Volland (Paulinho 82’)

SC Paderborn 07: Huth – Jans (Shelton 87’), Kilian, Schonlau, Collins – Gjasula (Zolinski 76’) – Pröger (Holtmann 66’), Sabiri – Oliveira Souza, Antwi-Adjei – Mamba

Goals: 1-0 Alario (25’)

Referee: Sven Jablonski (Bremen)

Booked: Weiser – Gjasula

Attendance: 15,410