Hoffenheim cruises past Aue in DFB-Pokal

TSG Hoffenheim navigated their first DFB-Pokal hurdle with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Erzgebirge Aue. The Europa League participant showed its class against the fifth-placed team in the Nordost-Regionalliga, securing a dominant win in front of 8,199 spectators at the Erzgebirgsstadion.

Patrick Wimmer opened the scoring in the sixth minute, and Wouter Burger doubled the lead in the 17th. Wimmer added his second goal just before halftime, giving Hoffenheim a commanding 3-0 lead. Max Moerstedt sealed the victory in the 63rd minute, shortly after coming on as a substitute.

Hoffenheim, who opted for goalkeeper Luca Philipp over captain Oliver Baumann and were without striker Fisnik Asllani, faced early pressure. Aue's Willi Kamm appealed for a penalty in the first minute after a shot hit Mats Rots, but the referee waved play on. Hoffenheim quickly responded, with Wimmer forcing a save from Aue's veteran goalkeeper Martin Männel before scoring the opener.

Despite Aue's efforts to play quickly and move the ball upfield, their final pass often lacked precision, preventing them from creating clear scoring chances. Hoffenheim also missed opportunities to extend their lead before halftime, but ultimately secured a convincing win to advance in the cup.