Cologne Edges Past Hertha Berlin in German Cup Round of 16 Thriller

In an exciting German Cup Round of 16 match, Cologne emerged victorious against Hertha Berlin with a final score of 2-1 after extra time. The home team secured their place in the quarterfinals in a closely contested battle at the RheinEnergieStadion.

The match began with Hertha Berlin taking an early lead through Ibrahim Maza’s penalty in the 12th minute. Cologne managed to equalize before halftime, thanks to an own goal by Florian Niederlechner in the 30th minute.

The game took a dramatic turn when Hertha’s Deyovaisio Zeefuik received a red card in the 25th minute, leaving the visitors to play with ten men for the majority of the match. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Hertha held on until the end of regular time with the score tied at 1-1.

In the dying moments of extra time, Cologne was awarded a penalty, which Dejan Ljubicic converted to seal the win for the home side. This crucial goal propelled Cologne into the quarterfinals of the German Cup.

With this victory, Cologne joins Arminia Bielefeld, Bayer Leverkusen, Werder Bremen, Stuttgart, and Wolfsburg in the last eight of the competition. Meanwhile, Hertha Berlin’s cup run comes to an end, as they bow out of the tournament after a valiant effort.