Elversberg vs Augsburg ends 4:3 after four penalties

SV Elversberg beat FC Augsburg 4:3 in a Bundesliga game that barely settled for long enough to breathe. There were four penalties, a 3:1 half-time lead for Elversberg, an 89th-minute winner from Frederik Schmahl and one last Augsburg reply in stoppage time. Lukas Petkov set the tone in the 4th minute, although he first missed the penalty and then converted the rebound.

The early chaos

Petkov's opener was the kind of start that can make a promoted side look fearless. It also summed up the first half, because Elversberg kept finding ways through while Augsburg kept coming back at them. Lasse Günther and Maximilian Rohr also scored for the home side, and the 3:1 half-time scoreline gave Elversberg a cushion they would need later.

The match kept swinging after the break. Augsburg pulled themselves into the contest from the spot, with Fabian Rieder and Michael Gregoritsch both converting penalties, and Mert Kömür made the finish even tighter with his stoppage-time goal. Four penalties in one match is enough to keep almost any game unstable. This one never really settled.

Elversberg's response under pressure

Vincent Wagner said after the match that Elversberg still need "The clarity in the final pass" and must "get used to Bundesliga level quickly." That fits the game they just played. They showed enough direct attacking threat to race into control, but the late stages also exposed how quickly a lead can fray when the opponent keeps getting chances from the spot.

The result was Elversberg's third win in six Bundesliga games, which is a better start than plenty would have expected from a promoted side. The sold-out crowd of 9307 got a messy but impressive home win, and the 4:3 scoreline tells the story better than any tidy summary would.

Elversberg now move on with three league wins from six and a result that should travel well in the table and in the dressing room. Augsburg leave with their second defeat of the season, and the last word belongs to a scoreline that finished 4:3 after eight goals and four penalties.