Marcel Sabitzer’s 93rd-minute free-kick secured Borussia Dortmund a 3-2 DFB-Pokal win over Werder Bremen on Tuesday.
The Austrian midfielder curled the ball into the top corner in the third minute of stoppage time at a sold-out Signal Iduna Park, capping a dramatic comeback by the visitors. Dortmund had led 2-0 through Serhou Guirassy’s opener in the sixth minute and Carney Chukwuemeka’s strike in the 17th, but substitute Niclas Füllkrug levelled with a penalty in the 65th and a solo effort four minutes later. Mitchell Weiser nearly completed Bremen’s turnaround, only for Sabitzer to settle the tie with his decisive set-piece.
Sabitzer called it “one of the most emotional moments in a BVB shirt” in a post-match interview with Sky . The victory advanced Dortmund to the DFB-Pokal last 16 for the first time in six seasons, ending a run of quarter-final exits.
The match began with Dortmund dominating, as Guirassy’s early goal and Chukwuemeka’s finish put them in control. Bremen, starting without Füllkrug, struggled to create chances until the second half, when coach Daniel Thioune introduced the striker and Mitchell Weiser. Füllkrug’s penalty and individual run shifted momentum, and Weiser’s near-miss in the 75th minute raised the prospect of an upset.
Sabitzer later revealed a brief debate with defender Nico Schlotterbeck over the free-kick. “My first thought was to shoot,” Sabitzer said, while Schlotterbeck admitted he had urged a cross. Trainer Niko Kovač’s instruction from the touchline—“Shoot!”—proved decisive . Schlotterbeck conceded: “Sabi made the stroke of genius. Who scores, is right.”
Dortmund now turn to a Bundesliga top-of-the-table clash at Bayern Munich on Saturday.
