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Dortmund Edge Frankfurt on Penalties After Grueling DFB-Pokal Battle
In one of the most eagerly anticipated ties of the DFB-Pokal second round, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund served up a thrilling contest that had everything early goals, missed chances, extra-time drama, and finally, penalties. After 120 minutes of football couldn’t separate the sides in a tense 1-1 draw, Dortmund held their nerve in the shootout to win 4-2 and book their place in the next round, Softfootball reports.
Frankfurt came into the clash looking to bounce back from a bruising 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League a result that dented both their confidence and pride. But in front of their home fans, they started like a team desperate to make amends.
Within seven minutes, they were ahead, and it was two familiar faces who combined to do the damage. Former BVB stars Mario Götze and Ansgar Knauff linked up beautifully, with Götze threading a precise ball through for Knauff to slot past Gregor Kobel and make it 1-0.
That early strike set the tone, and Frankfurt’s energy continued to trouble Dortmund. Farès Chaïbi thought he had doubled the lead shortly after, but the flag went up for offside. Meanwhile, Dortmund despite plenty of possession struggled to find rhythm in the final third. Karim Adeyemi saw a shot blocked, and young Jobe Bellingham headed wide as BVB’s attack looked disjointed.
Frankfurt pushed for a second, with Ritsu Dōan forcing Kobel into a smart save and Arthur Theate testing him from distance, but the Swiss keeper stood firm to keep his team in it. The hosts went into the break with a narrow lead, but Dortmund emerged for the second half with renewed purpose — and within three minutes, they were level.
A crisp move down the right saw Bellingham find Julian Ryerson, whose cross was met by Julian Brandt for a simple tap-in to make it 1-1. The goal shifted momentum instantly. Still, Frankfurt refused to fold. Knauff continued to torment his former club, testing Kobel once more, while Dōan rattled the crossbar with a thunderous effort that had the home crowd gasping.
As the game wore on, both managers turned to their benches. Niko Kovač introduced Serhou Guirassy for Dortmund in search of a late winner, while Dino Toppmöller brought on Ellyes Skhiri and Can Uzun to inject energy. Frankfurt looked closest to nicking it when Uzun forced another brilliant stop from Kobel, while at the other end, Fábio Silva’s late strike was tipped wide by Zetterer.
Extra-time brought tension rather than action. Chaïbi went close again, and Guirassy tried an ambitious bicycle kick that drew applause, but neither side could find a breakthrough. Frankfurt thought they’d finally done it when Burkardt turned home from close range, but VAR quickly ruled it out for offside. The tie was heading to the one place both sets of fans feared a penalty shootout.
And as SoftFootball predicted before kickoff, this was always going to be a tight affair, even correctly called the outcome, a 1-2 result for Dortmund after penalties and that’s exactly how it played out.
After the game, Dortmund shared an emotional video via its official X handle,showing the players celebrating and rejoicing at the away end with the black and yellow fans.They posted
Das macht einfach nur Laune!
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) October 28, 2025pic.twitter.com/mF3OqpH7eb
Under the immense pressure of the shootout, Frankfurt blinked first. Dōan fired his effort over the bar, and Kobel produced another hero moment by saving Chaïbi’s spot-kick. Dortmund were clinical from 12 yards, converting all four attempts to seal a dramatic 4-2 shootout win and advance to the next round.
For Frankfurt, it’s another painful night following their Champions League humiliation at the hands of Liverpool. For Dortmund, though, it was a gritty, hard-earned win — the kind that can galvanize a team’s belief for the challenges ahead.
