PADERBORN, Germany (AP) – Bayer Leverkusen scored twice in the final minutes of overtime on Wednesday to beat second-tier Paderborn 4-2 in a thrilling German Cup second round match.
Leverkusen avoided another embarrassing cup exit after the game. Lost to the third-dan team in the semifinals As was the case last season, Leverkusen’s defensive performance was once again inconsistent in their 7-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain last week.
The match was a late goal extravaganza, with Paderborn’s Stefano Marino scoring a header for his 10-man team in the 90th minute with the score at 1-1, forcing extra time. Paderborn briefly took the lead in extra time with a goal from Sven Michel, but former Liverpool defender Jarrell Quansah equalized for Leverkusen.
With a penalty shootout looming, Ibrahim Maza showed brilliant footwork and scored the decisive goal in the second half of overtime. Paderborn’s goalkeeper joined in the attack and Aleix García scored into an empty net, sealing Leverkusen’s victory.
In other matches, Stuttgart defeated Mainz 2-0 to advance to the third round for the second time in three days. On Sunday, Stuttgart also defeated Mainz 2-1 in the Bundesliga.
Fourth division Illertissen, the lowest remaining team in the competition, lost to second division Magdeburg 3-0, while Kaiserslautern won 1-0 against Greuther Fürth.
Bayern Munich have won all 13 games played so far this season, with Vincent Kompany’s side visiting Cologne in one of four further second round matches later on Wednesday.
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