Greuther Fürth and Wolfsburg met in the Round of 64 of the DFB Pokal at Sportpark Ronhof Thomas Sommer on Saturday, and the visitors survived a storm to win 2:1. Fürth threw everything at it from the opening whistle, but Wolfsburg found answers when it mattered. Christian Rasmussen opened the scoring in the 25th minute before Philipp Hofmann and Maxim Dal struck later on to secure the away victory.
And here's the thing about the first goal — it came from a moment Fürth never really recovered from. Rasmussen latched onto a ball over the top in the 25th minute and finished clinically, a chance that came from Wolfsburg's only real attack of the first half. Fürth had 65 per cent possession by then but their shots were going nowhere, just drifting and being cleared without danger.
The hosts threw their weight around after the break. They had 108 attacks to Wolfsburg's 58 and worked 11 corners, but the visitors sat deep and waited. Hofmann equalised in the 64th minute from what looked like a set-piece routine, and suddenly Fürth were chasing the game again despite leading 1:0 on the scoreboard.
To be fair, Wolfsburg's efficiency was staggering. They registered just three shots on target all afternoon and converted two, while Fürth fired four shots on target and managed only one goal. The statistics tell you everything — 1.6 expected goals for the hosts against 0.43 for the visitors, yet the scoreboard told a different story entirely.
By then the match had swung on its head. Dal's goal in the 77th minute killed off Fürth's hopes and left them scrambling for a response that never came. The hosts had 429 successful passes and 145 into the final third, but Wolfsburg's defence held firm and their counter-attacks told the tale.
Wolfsburg advance to the next round, while Fürth's Cup run ends at the first hurdle. The visitors travel to their next fixture knowing they can survive anywhere, and Fürth will have to find a way to convert their dominance into goals before the Bundesliga season truly begins.