Leipzig Beat Essen 2-1 in DFB Pokal Comeback
RB Leipzig avoided a major German Cup upset on Tuesday, coming from behind with 10 men to beat third-division Rot-Weiss Essen 2-1 in the DFB Pokal second round. Christoph Baumgartner scored twice in the final 12 minutes to rescue the two-time champions, who looked headed for elimination at Stadion an der Hafenstrasse.
Brumme gives Essen an early lead
The hosts made a dream start in the ninth minute when Lucas Brumme put Essen 1-0 ahead. A tame back pass from Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba and a slip from goalkeeper Orjan Nyland left Brumme with the simple task of rounding the keeper and slotting home. Essen pressed hard for the rest of the first half and gave Leipzig no clear attacking openings.
Seiwald sent off before half-time
Leipzig’s task grew harder just before the break when Nicolas Seiwald was sent off. The midfielder had picked up his first yellow card in the 34th minute and received a second for a foul on Ruben Reisig in the 44th minute, leaving Leipzig to play the entire second half with 10 men.
Baumgartner’s five-minute turnaround
Leipzig coach Martin Demichelis turned to his bench in the second half, introducing Antonio Nusa and Christoph Baumgartner. The pair combined in the 78th minute, with Nusa’s cross finding Baumgartner to level the score at 1-1. Less than four minutes later, Baumgartner headed home a David Raum free-kick in the 82nd minute to complete the comeback and send Leipzig through.
A strange night before kick-off
The night before the match, Essen fans had concreted over the away fan entrance, leaving city authorities in a race against time to clear it before kick-off. The incident had already drawn wide attention before the first whistle.
Other second-round results
Elsewhere in the round, Eintracht Frankfurt cruised to a 3-1 win at three-time winners Hamburg, with Robin Koch, Jonathan Burkardt and Younes Ebnoutalib on the scoresheet. Second-tier VfL Bochum upset Bundesliga side Mainz 2-0, while Augsburg beat third-flight Sonnenhof Grossaspach 4-2. On Wednesday, holders Bayern Munich host Magdeburg in Harry Kane’s first match since winning the Ballon d’Or on Monday.
Leipzig won the competition back-to-back in 2022 and 2023, and this escape keeps their defence of the trophy alive.
Read more: Harry Kane Wins 2026 Ballon d’Or and Harry Kane wins Ballon d’Or 2026.
Sources: theScore, BuliNews, Flashscore