Star Metro - Openda hits brace as Leipzig beat Frankfurt in German Cup last 16

Leipzig and coach Marco Rose came into the game under pressure, after five losses and a draw during a winless November, against a Frankfurt side sitting second in the league.

The hosts however started with a flurry and had two goals ruled out for offside before Benjamin Sesko broke through after 31 minutes.

The Slovenian striker collected an Antonio Nusa pass on the turn and bewitched the Frankfurt defence with some clever footwork before tapping home.

Nusa was the provider again to double Leipzig's lead four minutes after half-time, sliding the ball into the path of Openda, who hammered home.

Nusa, still just 19, collected his third assist of the game nine minutes later, again finding Openda who rifled in from long range.

After the goal, Openda ran straight to Rose on the sideline, leading his teammates who piled on and embraced the coach.

German Cup winners in 2022 and 2023, Leipzig have made the final in four of the past seven seasons.

The loss breaks a run of seven straight wins for Frankfurt and is their first loss since mid-October.

Earlier, a 121st-minute Dejan Ljubicic penalty took Cologne to a 2-1 win over 10-man Hertha Berlin.

Hertha took the lead early when Ibrahim Maza converted a penalty after Derry Scherhant was felled in the box.

Berlin's hopes took a hit soon after when Deyovaisio Zeefuik was red carded for a headbutt in the 25th minute.

The visitors equalised five minutes later when Florian Niederlechner scored an own goal from a Cologne corner.

With scores locked at 1-1, the match went to extra time.

Ljubicic missed a sitter inches from goal on the 100th-minute mark but made good on his error, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, with penalties looming, to book Cologne's place in the last eight.

2015 winners Wolfsburg beat Hoffenheim 3-0 at home thanks to three goals in 22 second-half minutes.

Scoreless at half-time, Denis Vavro and Jonas Wind scored within four minutes of each other midway through the second half, before Yannick Gerhardt added a third to seal the game in the dying stages.

The win continues Wolfsburg's improvement under former Southampton and RB Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhuettl, with the Wolves now unbeaten in seven games.

Bayer Leverkusen, who eliminated 20-time winners Bayern Munich on Tuesday, have already booked their spot in the quarter-finals along with Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and Arminia Bielefeld, who are the sole third-division side in the final eight.

L.Pelletier--SMC