BERLIN, GERMANY — SC Freiburg survived a dramatic German Cup encounter at Olympic Stadium Berlin, ultimately prevailing 5-4 on penalties after Fabian Reese's spectacular extra-time equalizer forced spot kicks in a pulsating 1-1 draw. The Bundesliga visitors appeared destined for victory when Yuito Suzuki broke the deadlock in the 96th minute of extra time, only for Reese to produce a moment of magic eight minutes later to keep Hertha's cup dreams alive.
The opening exchanges set the tone for an absorbing contest, with both sides probing for weaknesses in a cagey first half. Hertha goalkeeper Tjark Ernst was called into action early, denying Derry Scherhant's effort from the center of the box in the 20th minute. The home stopper would prove instrumental throughout, making a crucial save from Niklas Beste's left-footed attempt five minutes later before thwarting Yuito Suzuki's through ball to Igor Matanovic in the 31st minute. Ernst's heroics kept the scoreline level at the interval, with the teams sharing possession almost equally at 52.1% to 47.9% in Hertha's favor.
The second half continued in similarly tight fashion, with neither side able to establish clear dominance. SC Freiburg created more opportunities, registering 18 shots to Hertha's 11, but Ernst stood firm between the posts. The Hertha custodian's seven saves kept his side in the contest as regulation time expired goalless, forcing an additional 30 minutes of drama.
Extra time exploded into life in the 96th minute when Suzuki finally found a way past Ernst, slotting his right-footed effort from the center of the box into the net to give Freiburg what appeared to be a decisive advantage. The Olympic Stadium fell silent as the visitors celebrated, but Hertha refused to surrender. Just eight minutes later, Reese produced a moment of individual brilliance, collecting Paul Seguin's pass before unleashing a thunderous right-footed strike from outside the box that flew into the top left corner, sending the home supporters into raptures.
The goal breathed new life into Hertha, though both teams had chances to avoid penalties in the closing stages. Johan Manzambi's right-footed effort from the left side of the box in the 98th minute was saved by Ernst, while Julian Eitschberger fired high and wide from the center of the box in the 109th minute. The tension mounted as the clock ticked toward the inevitable shootout.
The penalty drama provided a fitting conclusion to an enthralling encounter. Vincenzo Grifo opened the scoring for Freiburg before Fabian Reese converted for Hertha. Matthias Ginter and Luca Schuler both found the net before Maximilian Eggestein gave Freiburg a 3-2 advantage. The momentum swung when Florian Müller saved Michaël Cuisance's effort, only for Ernst to respond by denying Johan Manzambi. Josip Brekalo and Lucas Höler both converted before Paul Seguin leveled at 4-4. Yuito Suzuki stepped up for the decisive kick, sending his penalty down the middle as Müller saved Pascal Klemens' attempt to seal Freiburg's progression.
The statistics reflected the competitive nature of the contest, with Freiburg's eight shots on target to Hertha's four demonstrating their slight edge in attacking threat. The visitors also edged the corner count 5-6 in Hertha's favor, while the home side committed 14 fouls to Freiburg's nine, resulting in three yellow cards for Hertha compared to one for the visitors. Ernst's seven saves highlighted his outstanding individual performance, though it ultimately proved insufficient to prevent elimination.
The match was not without its flashpoints, with Toni Leistner receiving a yellow card in the 90th minute for a foul on Philipp Treu. Paul Seguin joined him in the referee's book during extra time, picking up a caution in the 105th minute for a challenge on Igor Matanovic. Luca Schuler completed Hertha's trio of bookings in the 119th minute after fouling Matthias Ginter, though the cards had little impact on the final outcome.
Hertha's cup journey ends in heartbreak despite their valiant effort, while Freiburg march on with momentum building. The Bundesliga side will look to carry this resilience into their next fixture when they host TSG Hoffenheim on February 14, knowing they survived a stern examination of their character in the German capital.