Magdeburg saw off Bahlinger 4-0 in the Round of 64 of the German Cup at Kaiserstuhlstadion on Saturday. The visitors controlled proceedings from the opening whistle, scoring twice in the first half before adding two more after the break. Bahlinger offered little resistance throughout the ninety minutes.
M. Zukowski opened the scoring in the fifth minute, catching the home defence asleep. F. Michel doubled the lead just before the interval with a composed finish, and Zukowski made it three in the forty-fourth minute. The fourth arrived in the seventy-seventh minute when Michel completed his brace. By then the match was already decided.
There were yellow cards for A. Echner, F. Schmid, M. Schneider and C. Cernenchi, all from Bahlinger. The visitors kept their disciplinary record clean. Substitutions came thick and fast: T. Reitz and E. Iyoha for Bahlinger in the sixtieth minute, followed by a double change at seventy-four. Magdeburg brought on B. Atik and M. Zukowski in the eighty-second minute.
The statistics tell the story without embellishment. Magdeburg held 63 per cent possession and created eight big chances against Bahlinger's zero. They registered nine shots on target with an expected goals tally of 3.72. Bahlinger mustered only two shots on target and 0.93 xG despite 86 attacks.
The result sends Magdeburg through to the next round with plenty of time to rest players. Bahlinger's cup hopes ended before they truly got going. The hosts will need to regroup quickly if they want to bounce back in domestic competition.
