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Leipzig down Frankfurt to reach German Cup quarters, Cologne strike late

Leipzig down Frankfurt to reach German Cup quarters, Cologne strike late
Lois Openda scored a brace as RB Leipzig roared back into form with a 3-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup last 16 on Wednesday. (AP)
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Updated 05 December 2024

Leipzig down Frankfurt to reach German Cup quarters, Cologne strike late

Leipzig down Frankfurt to reach German Cup quarters, Cologne strike late
  • Lois Openda scored a brace as RB Leipzig roared back into form with a 3-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup last 16 on Wednesday

BERLIN: Lois Openda scored a brace as RB Leipzig roared back into form with a 3-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup last 16 on Wednesday, while Cologne found a winner in the 121st minute to advance.
Leipzig and their 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 defense 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.
“Today we wanted to do something, we wanted to fight together as a team — and we did that tonight,” Openda told Sky.
“We wanted to win today and show we are all strong together, with the coach, the fans and the players — that we are one family.”
Speaking with Sky, Leipzig and Germany wing-back Benjamin Henrichs praised his coach.
“It’s not an easy time for him and for us as well, but it all came out (when we scored). The win was very, very important,” the 27-year-old said.
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 equalized 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.
Augsburg beat second-division Karlsruhe 5-4 on penalties away after visiting midfielder Ruben Vargas scored in the 123rd minute to level the scores at 2-2.
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.


Pistons run win streak to seven games on night of NBA thrillers

Pistons run win streak to seven games on night of NBA thrillers
Updated 11 November 2025

Pistons run win streak to seven games on night of NBA thrillers

Pistons run win streak to seven games on night of NBA thrillers
  • In another overtime drama, Norman Powell scored 33 points and Andrew Wiggins added 23, including the winning dunk at the overtime buzzer to lift Miami over Cleveland 140-138
  • Victor Wembanyama delivered a dominating performance with 38 points, 12 rebounds, five blocked shots and five assists to lead San Antonio Spurs in a 121-117 triumph at Chicago

WASHINGTON: Cade Cunningham’s triple double, Daniss Jenkins’s three-pointer at the buzzer and Javonte Green’s overtime dunk lifted Detroit past Washington 137-135 on Monday, stretching the Pistons’ win streak to seven games.

In an unexpected thriller, the NBA’s second-best team barely outlasted a Wizards club that fell to an NBA-worst 1-10 with their ninth consecutive loss.

“We knew how big this game was for us,” Jenkins said. “We wasn’t going to let nothing stop us from getting this W.”

Cunningham made 14-of-45 shots for a career-high 46 points and added 12 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and two blocked shots as Detroit improved to 9-2.

“He’s the one who is going to lead this team whatever we do,” Detroit’s Jalen Duren said of Cunningham. “And to see him fight through and be the great player he is gave us the confidence.”

Jenkins came off the bench for a career-high 24 points and eight rebounds while Duren added 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Pistons.

C.J. McCollum, who led Washington with 42 points, sank a floater with 14 seconds remaining to give the Wizards a 126-121 lead.

But Jenkins, who hadn’t played in three games, sank a three-pointer with three seconds remaining and, after a Kyshawn George free throw for Washington, hit another three-pointer at the buzzer to equalize at 127-127 and force overtime.

“I told myself if I got that ball I was going to shoot it,” Jenkins said. “He trusted me and passed it to me and it went in.

“I know what I’m capable of. I just had to believe in myself and trust in my work.”

Duren said of Jenkins: “He never shies away from the moment. He’s going to be a great player in this league and that showed tonight.”

In the extra session, Duncan Robinson’s three-pointer gave Detroit the lead and Green’s dunk made it 136-133 with 25 seconds remaining.

George added a layup for the Wizards and Duren sank a free throw to create the final margin. McCollum missed two three-point attempts in the dying seconds and the Pistons escaped with a triumph.

In another overtime drama, Norman Powell scored 33 points and Andrew Wiggins added 23, including the winning dunk at the overtime buzzer to lift Miami over Cleveland 140-138, ending the Cavaliers’ four-game win streak to leave both clubs 7-4.

Jaime Jaquez’s jumper with 7.1 seconds remaining lifted Miami level at 128-128 to force overtime.

Powell sank two free throws with 6.5 seconds left for a 138-135 Miami edge but Donovan Mitchell made a three-pointer with 0.4 of a second remaining to lift the Cavs level.

Not to be outdone, Miami won at the buzzer when Wiggins made an alley-oop dunk off a pass from Nikola Jovic.

Mitchell led the Cavs with 28 points and 15 rebounds.

Another tension-packed contest came in Orlando, where Desmond Bane’s three-pointer at the final buzzer gave the host Magic a 115-112 home victory over Portland.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 28 points while Bane added 22, missing all five of his three-point shots before hitting the game winner.

Shaedon Sharpe led Portland with 31 points.

Wemby sparks Spurs

Victor Wembanyama delivered a dominating performance with 38 points, 12 rebounds, five blocked shots and five assists to lead the San Antonio Spurs in a 121-117 triumph at Chicago.

The Frenchman was 11-of-19 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from three-point range, and 10-of-10 from the free throw line while De’Aaron Fox added 21 for the Spurs.

Luka Doncic had a game-high 38 points with seven assists and six rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Lakers in a 121-111 victory at Charlotte.

Austin Reaves added 24 points and Japan’s Rui Hachimura contributed 21 for the Lakers while Miles Bridges scored 34 points to lead the Hornets.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and added eight rebounds and six assists in a 116-114 Bucks victory at Dallas.