Stuttgart squeezes past Eintracht Braunschweig 8-7 on penalties to start German Cup title defense

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VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel saves a penalty during a penalty shootout against Eintracht Braunschweig during a DFB Pokal, German Cup, soccer match, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2205, in Brunswick, Germany. (Swen Pförtner/dpa via AP)

Stuttgart's Lorenz Assignon, left, celebrates after converting his kick during a penalty shootout against Eintracht Braunschweig during a DFB Pokal, German Cup, soccer match, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2205, in Brunswick, Germany. (Swen Pförtner/dpa via AP) — VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel saves a penalty during a penalty shootout against Eintracht Braunschweig during a DFB Pokal, German Cup, soccer match, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2205, in Brunswick, Germany. (Swen Pförtner/dpa via AP)

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5:12 PM on Tuesday, August 26

The Associated Press

BRAUNSCHWEIG, Germany (AP) — Stuttgart’s German Cup title defense started with a drama-filled 8-7 win on penalties over Eintracht Braunschweig on Tuesday after their game ended 4-4 following extra time.

New signing Lorenz Assignon struck Stuttgart’s winning penalty – the 20th of the shootout – after Alexander Nübel had already saved three for the visitors.

“I think the fans enjoyed it more than we did on the field,” said Stuttgart forward Ermedin Demirović, who scored two goals in normal time as well as a penalty in the shootout.

Braunschweig, which made a good start to the second division with two wins from three games, showed straight away it was not overawed by the defending champion.

Sven Köhler put the home side ahead early with a strike from distance that Nübel should have kept out after getting his hands to the ball.

Demirović replied four minutes later with a diving header to Maximilian Mittelstädt’s cross that went in off the far post and made it 2-1 on the hour-mark.

But Fabio Di Michele Sanchez, a left back, equalized by rifling a fierce shot into the roof of the net from a narrow angle in the 77th, then scored another spectacular goal to give Braunschweig a 3-2 lead with five minutes of normal time remaining.

Germany forward Nick Woltemade equalized four minutes after that, sending the game to extra time, where Stuttgart’s Tiago Tomás forced an own goal from Sanoussy Ba before Christian Joe Conteh pulled Braunschweig level again to send the game to penalties.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer