Overview

• The title holders progressed after a 3:3 in regulation and 4:4 after extra time was settled by a marathon shootout of 20 penalties in Braunschweig.
• Nübel erred on goals by Sven Köhler and Fabio Di Michele Sanchez during play, then stopped three attempts in the shootout to secure Stuttgart’s passage.
• Outlets gave conflicting final tallies for the shootout, with dpa-fed reports listing 8:7 and the Frankfurter Rundschau reporting 9:8 for Stuttgart.
• Braunschweig’s display challenged preseason relegation predictions, with a youthful side under Heiner Backhaus showing quality and fight.
• The ARD broadcast drew an average audience of about 4.13 million viewers, reflecting widespread national interest in the cup tie.