Berlin, Monchengladbach advance in DFB Cup

Hertha Berlin overcame second-division side Bielefeld 2-0 on the road meanwhile Borussia Monchengladbach crushed second-division team St. Pauli 4-1 to seal the second round in DFB Cup on Monday.

Hertha Berlin overpowered second-division club Armenia Bielefeld thanks to two second-half goals. Bielefeld staged a well-positioned defence but remained too harmless over 90 minutes.

After a goalless first-half, in which goal scoring opportunities remained a rare occurrence, Hertha piled on the pressure after the break to open the scoring with 74 minutes into the game. Berlin striker Salomon Kalou made use of Nico Schulz' square pass to tap in the 1-0 lead.

The "Herthaner" sealed the win 14 minutes later through Vladimir Darida, who unleashed a long-range shot into the far post corner to make it 2-0 on the scoreboards.

Elsewhere, relentless Borussia Monchengladbach edged courageous St. Pauli 4-1 on the road. The "Foals" turned around a 0-1 deficit to wrap up a 4-1 victory.

St. Pauli shocked the visitors with the opener through Marc Rzatkowski, who capitalized on a fast break to slot home from 20 meters at the 33rd minute.

Monchengladbach took the reins after the restart and restored parity thanks to Ibrahima Traore' s build up play that allowed Lars Stindl to make it 1-1 at the 54th minute.

The "Foals" gained momentum and grabbed the lead moments later for the first time as Traore utilized Stindl' s assist to mark the 2-1 into the top left corner. However, the visitors were not done with the scoring as Stindl, who wrapped his brace, and substitute Thorgan Hazard rounded off the 4-1 victory to book the berth for the next round. Endi