Werder Bremen wins in Lüneburg and advances to the second DFB-Pokal round

Lüneburg's cup history against top clubs

Lüneburger SK Hansa put up a spirited fight at times in front of their home crowd, but were unable to offset the class gap over the full duration. The Regionalliga side's coach and players must view the defeat as a sporting milestone, since simply reaching the first round was already an achievement for the club.

In previous DFB-Pokal appearances, Lüneburger SK Hansa had already come up short against higher-division opponents: in 1992, they lost 0:3 to Karlsruher SC; in 2008, a 0:5 followed against VfB Stuttgart; and in 2017, a 1:3 against Mainz 05. The latest defeat thus slots into a series of cup experiences against well-known opponents.

On the Bremen side, it was above all Füllkrug who was singled out for praise after the final whistle. Coach Daniel Thioune used clear words for his striker in the press conference and described his impact on the team.

Thioune praises Füllkrug

Thioune said of Füllkrug, verbatim: „Der Junge hat Bock, der hat Energie, Selbstvertrauen ohne Ende. Das könnte man in Flaschen abfüllen und verkaufen. Da haben wir einen gefunden, der uns aus unser vermeintlichen Lethargie, in der wir uns Monate bewegt haben, herausziehen will.“ The coach thus referenced a period in which Bremen had been less consistent and emphasized the upward trend.

Bremen fans reacted with relief to the clear win, which turns attention to what lies ahead. Having advanced to the second round, Werder remains in contention in the national cup competition and can now focus on the draw for the next tie.

Looking ahead to the second cup round

At hosts Lüneburg, recognition for simply competing outweighed the disappointment of the defeat. The match gave the club and its surroundings the chance to showcase themselves in front of a large TV audience and to gain sporting experience against a top-flight opponent.

For Werder, preparation for the continuing league campaign now comes next, before the second cup round is on the agenda. The team around Füllkrug can take confidence from the performance in Lower Saxony and build on the positive elements that Thioune explicitly highlighted.