2. Bundesliga
Freiburg ease into quarter-finals
Vincenzo Grifo scored one and made another as Freiburg beat 10-man Darmstadt to seal their place in the next round of the DFB Cup.
Freiburg 2-0 Darmstadt
Goals: 1-0 Grifo (pen. 42'), 2-0 Höler 69'
Sent off: Maglica 88'
The home side enjoyed the better start, albeit without creating any dangerous chances until just before the half-time interval, when Johan Manzambi was brought down inside the penalty area. Grifo was clinical from the spot, smashing high into the net to give Julian Schuster's side a half-time lead.
Darmstadt pushed for an equaliser in the second half but it was Freiburg who scored again, Lucas Höler dinking in from Grifo's fine through-ball. Grifo missed a late penalty and Maximilian Eggestein had a goal disallowed as the Black Forest club ended up going through comfortably.
As it happened!
2 - 0(1 - 0)
Freiburg
FINAL
Darmstadt
90' +3
vs
Igor Matanović
Vincenzo Grifo
90' +3
vs
Derry Scherhant
Lucas Höler
89'
vs
Fynn-Luca Lakenmacher
Hiroki Akiyama
90'
vs
Paul Will
Merveille Papela
88'
vs
Matej Maglica
87'
vs
Disallowed goal
Eggestein has the ball in the net following a blistering counter but it won't count as Adamu was offside in the build-up.
85'
vs
Bartosz Białek
Luca Marseiler
85'
vs
Junior Adamu
Johan Manzambi
84'
vs
Penalty missed!
Following a VAR review of the incident involving Treu, the referee overturns his initial decision and awards a penalty. Grifo takes it again, but smacks his effort off the bar!
81'
vs
Another penalty shout
Freiburg sprint forward on the counter, Grifo spreading the play from right to left for Treu, who has plenty of space to dart into. He skips past one defender in the box and goes to ground as he tries to take on another, but the referee waves for play to continue.
78'
vs
And again!
Maglica must be sick of the sight of Müller. That's the centre-back's third effort on goal in the space of three minutes, this time hammering a left-footed, first-time effort at goal from just outside the box. Müller dives low to his left to keep it out though.
77'
vs
Müller again
From the resultant corner, it's almost a carbon copy: Maglica wins a header again, but Müller saves again!
76'
vs
Darmstadt almost get one back!
Maglica leaps highest at the back post to connect with a deep corner but Müller produces a fingertip save to keep it out.
72'
vs
More open
Darmstadt have to throw caution to the wind now if they want to get back into this game. There are already more gaps appearing in midfield as they try to bridge the gap between committing players forward and having enough cover at the back.
68'
vs
Sergio López
Matthias Bader
68'
vs
Fabian Holland
Marco Richter
67'
vs
Chance for Ginter
Grifo swings a teasing free-kick into the box from the right. It seems to catch Ginter off guard though, and he can't sort his feet out in time to attempt a shot. Darmstadt clear.
65'
vs
Patrick Osterhage
Yuito Suzuki
65'
vs
Philipp Treu
Niklas Beste
61'
vs
Changes inbound
Freiburg appear to be readying Osterhage and Treu to come on. They're still in control but do need a second goal to kill things off.
58'
vs
Neat interplay
Some nice one and two-touch football from Beste and Manzambi ends with the former slipping a pass through to Höler. It's an eye-catching move but Höler was offside.
53'
vs
Grifo goes close
The Freiburg playmaker enters the Darmstadt penalty area on the left, weighs up his options and decides to curl a shot towards the far corner. It's going in, but Schuhen flies to his left to make a fine save.
46'
vs
Peeeep
And we're off again, no changes from either side at the break.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
0 - 0
Half-time
43'
vs
Freiburg lead!
Just moments after Manzambi had a penalty shout waved away, the Swiss midfielder is awarded a spot-kick after being brought down by a clumsy lunge by Pfeiffer. Grifo steps up and smashes an unstoppable shot into high to the goalkeeper's right.
40'
vs
Schuhen to the rescue
Freiburg's best chance of the half falls to Manzambi inside the six-yard box, but Schuhen charges off his line to make a brilliant block.
36'
vs
Penalty appeal
Manzambi goes down in the box as Klefisch blocks his run into the box. He wants a penalty but the referee waves for play to continue.
33'
vs
No way through
Aside from that opening for Beste just over 10 minutes ago, Freiburg have struggled to create any truly threatening chances against a Darmstadt side in a 5-4-1 formation against the ball.
30'
vs
Lidberg has a go
The Darmstadt striker cuts in from the left and drills a powerful shot towards the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area. Müller watches it all the way though and gets down well to make the save.
27'
vs
What a save!
Darmstadt midfielder Corredor does brilliantly to control a cross from the lef ton his chest and smash a volley goalwards. It looks to be arrowing into the net but Müller dives to his right to tip it over the bar.
22'
vs
Beste too selfless
Beste wins the ball on the right and scurries into space. He's well inside the penalty area and could have a shot on goal but instead tries to square it to the unmarked Grifo in the middle. His pass is intercepted though and the opportunity is gone.
19'
vs
Richter goes for the spectacular
The visitors get forward well on the counter, culminating in a header from the left being directed towards Richter, lurking near the penalty spot. Under pressure from Ginter and with his back to goal, he attempts an overhead kick but misses the ball completely.
17'
vs
Foul throw
A bit of a collector's item there as Manzambi's attempt at a long throw is called back.
12'
vs
Grifo!
Darmstadt struggle to clear their lines after a high ball into the box. It eventually falls kindly for Grifo, rushing into the box, but his side-footed effort on the volley is blocked by a defender.
9'
vs
Manzambi has a go
The Freiburg midfielder unleashes a shot from just outside the Darmstadt box. He catches it well and the trajectory appears to be heading towards goal, but it hits teammate Höler and bounces harmlessy away.
6'
vs
Nice move
Günter plays a quick one-two on the left and scampers into space. His attempted cross is blocked for a corner, which Grifo overhits.
3'
vs
Freiburg on top
The home side have immediately seized control and are stroking the ball around confidently. Manzambi has been particularly lively, but no goalmouth action to speak of yet.
1'
vs
And we're off!
Darmstadt get the ball rolling in the Black Forest!
0 - 0
Kick-off!
vs
More on those teams
Freiburg make two changes from their win over Mainz, with Günter and Rosenfelder coming in for Lienhart and Treu. For Darmstadt, Hornby, López, Nürnberger and Vukotić are replaced by Bader, Maglica, Papela and Richter.
vs
Freiburg starting line-up
Müller - Kübler, Ginter, Rosenfelder, Günter (c) - Eggestein, Manzambi - Beste, Suzuki, Grifo - Höler
vs
Freiburg subs
Adamu, Atubolu, Höfler, Jung, Matanović, Ogbus, Osterhage, Scherhant, Treu
vs
Darmstadt starting line-up
Schuhen - Bader, Pfeiffer, Maglica, Klefisch - Papela, Akiyama - Corredor, Richter, Marseiler - Lidberg
vs
Darmstadt subs
Białek, Brunst, Furukawa, Holland, Klassen, Lakenmacher, López, Vukotić, Will
vs
Freiburg pip previous encounters
In the 32 previous meetings between these two, Freiburg have won 12 while Darmstadt have won 11. The most recent DFB Cup meeting between these sides takes us back to 2002, when the Lilies beat the Breisgau club 6-4 on penalties in the second round.
123s
vs
Watch: Darmstadt 0-1 Freiburg - previous meeting
Here are the highlights from Freiburg's 1-0 win when the two sides last met.
123s
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Watch: Freiburg 4-0 Mainz - highlights
Freiburg, meanwhile, were on the move at the weekend, courtesy of a handsome 4-0 win over Mainz. They're now eighth as a result and within six points of the European places.