Late Onyeka double earns Elversberg 3-1 DFB-Pokal win at MSV Duisburg
SV Elversberg advanced to the DFB-Pokal second round after a 3-1 win over MSV Duisburg, sealed by two late goals from substitute Francis Onyeka.
First-half breakthrough
Newly promoted Bundesliga club SV Elversberg opened their competitive campaign on 22 August 2026 with a visit to 3. Liga leaders MSV Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal first round. The home side, appearing in the competition main draw for the first time in six years, maintained a compact defensive block against Elversberg's possession play. Elversberg controlled the ball through the opening half hour without generating clear openings against the disciplined Duisburg back line. The breakthrough arrived in the 38th minute when Luca Schnellbacher received a pass inside the penalty area from Felix Keidel and beat goalkeeper Maximilian Braune on a turn shot. Just before the interval, Elversberg attacker Cole Campbell missed an opportunity to extend the lead when he sent an uncontested shot well over the crossbar in the 45th minute.
Duisburg equalizer and missed chances
The contest opened up significantly after halftime as Duisburg abandoned their defensive posture in pursuit of an equalizer. In the 54th minute, Duisburg forward Lex-Tyger Lobinger recovered the ball in his own half and completed a solo run with a powerful finish to level the score at 1-1. The goal shifted momentum toward the third-tier hosts, who repeatedly created transition chances as Elversberg committed unforced errors in midfield. Duisburg had two clear opportunities to take the lead in the final quarter of an hour before the home crowd. Jan-Simon Symalla headed narrowly wide of the far post in the 78th minute, and Ramien Safi failed to score when clear on goal two minutes later.
- Luca Schnellbacher scores on a turn shot from Felix Keidel's assist to give Elversberg the lead
- Cole Campbell shoots over the crossbar on an uncontested chance for Elversberg
- Lex-Tyger Lobinger equalizes for Duisburg following a solo run from his own half
- Jan-Simon Symalla directs a header narrowly wide of the far post for Duisburg
- Ramien Safi fails to convert an open scoring chance for Duisburg
- Francis Onyeka scores from inside the penalty area to put Elversberg ahead 2-1
- Francis Onyeka adds his second goal in stoppage time to seal a 3-1 win
Onyeka secures late victory
Elversberg capitalized on Duisburg's missed chances through substitute Francis Onyeka, who is on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. In the 88th minute, Onyeka found space in the penalty box to put Elversberg ahead 2-1. He added a second goal in the first minute of stoppage time to confirm a 3-1 victory and prevent extra time. The result sends Elversberg into the second round of the DFB-Pokal for the third consecutive season, following their last first-round elimination against FSV Mainz 05 in the 2023-2024 tournament. The victory also gives the club momentum ahead of their first Bundesliga home match against Bayer Leverkusen on 29 August 2026 at 15:30.
Reactions and coaching reunions
The match carried personal history for both managers, who previously coached against their former sides. Elversberg coach Vincent Wagner managed Duisburg's under-19 team from 2018 to 2021, while Duisburg manager Dietmar Hirsch coached Elversberg in the 3. Liga during the 2013-2014 season. Both clubs competed in the third division as recently as three years ago. Following the final whistle, Wagner acknowledged the difficulty of the match against his former club.
It was the tough game we expected.
Hirsch commended Lobinger for demonstrating energy, power, and courage as Duisburg's primary forward, expressing pride in the squad's performance despite the elimination.
If he says it looked like Bundesliga, I think we stood up to them, so we played like a Bundesliga team.
