The China Mail - Leverkusen win late in German Cup, Stuttgart progress

A frustrating night for the 2024 German domestic double winners looked destined to go to spot-kicks until 19-year-old Ibrahim Maza netted to spare Leverkusen's blushes against their second-division opponents, before Aleix Garcia then added gloss to the result.

Earlier, Alejandro Grimaldo's 60th-minute free-kick for Leverkusen -- his fourth dead-ball goal this season -- was cancelled out when Paderborn's Stefano Marino scored in the final minute of regular time.

Leverkusen struggled to break down their less-fancied opponents, who had not lost since August.

In extra-time, Paderborn, who were reduced to 10 men before the hour for a last-man foul which led to Grimaldo's free-kick, stunningly took the lead through Sven Michel on 96 minutes.

But former Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah made it 2-2 shortly before the extra-time interval.

Then Maza showed composure that belied his years to fire in from close range for the visitors in the 122nd minute.

As Paderborn pushed up looking for another late equaliser, Garcia profitted to grab a fourth for Kasper Hjulmand's side.

Winners in 2023-24, Leverkusen will be joined by current cup holders Stuttgart, who won 2-0 at Mainz thanks to goals from Luca Jaquez and captain Atakan Karazor.

Centre-back Jaquez rose high to head in a corner with six minutes gone. With 73 minutes played, Karazor blasted in on the counter after Germany midfielder Angelo Stiller's clever dummy fooled the home defence.

Elsewhere, Magdeburg won at fourth-tier Illertissen 3-0 and 2024 finalists Kaiserslautern won 1-0 at Greuther Fuerth.

Wednesday's winners join Borussia Dortmund, Hertha Berlin, RB Leipzig, Hamburg, St Pauli, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Holstein Kiel and Bochum in the last 16.

Later on Wednesday, 20-time German Cup winners Bayern Munich play away at Cologne.

N.Wan--ThChM