Dortmund crash out of German Cup

berlin — Flu-hit Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund crashed out of the German Cup on Tuesday, losing a penalty shoot-out at home to Werder Bremen following a 3-3 draw after extra time.

Goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka was Bremen’s hero in the shoot-out as he saved Dortmund’s opening attempts from Paco Alcacer and Maximilian Philipp as Bremen won the last-16 tie 4-2 on penalties.

It finished 1-1 over 90 minutes after Dortmund captain Marco Reus rifled home a direct free-kick to cancel out an early goal by Bremen’s Milot Rashica.

The game exploded into life with four goals in extra time as Bremen twice equalised, through substitutes Claudio Pizarro and Martin Harnik, to force penalties after Chelseabound Christian Pulisic and Achraf Hakimi had scored for Dortmund. “It’s a bitter defeat,” admitted Dortmund striker Mario Goetze.

“We shouldn’t have conceded two equalisers in extra time and then to lose on penalties is really tough.”

Peru veteran Pizarro, who turns 41 in October, was delighted with his 56th German Cup goal.

“That will have done us good — we deserved to go through,” beamed the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich striker.

Flu meant Dortmund were without England winger Jadon Sancho and defender Lukasz Piszczek, as well as first-choice goalkeeper Roman Burki and his back-up, Swiss international Marwin Hitz.

It meant third-choice keeper Eric Oelschlaegel made his Dortmund debut against Bremen, the club he left last June after six years. —