Jena, April 07, 2026. The women’s team of FC Carl Zeiss Jena has narrowly missed out on reaching the final of the DFB-Pokal. In front of a home crowd, the Bundesliga bottom-dwellers forced the clear favorites and record cup winners VfL Wolfsburg into a penalty shootout on Easter Sunday, but were ultimately defeated.
- Competition: Women’s DFB-Pokal
- Match: FC Carl Zeiss Jena – VfL Wolfsburg
- Final Result: 4:5 after penalty shootout (0:0 after extra time)
- Match Day: Easter Sunday, April 05, 2026
Tragic End from the Spot
The decision on the pitch in the Saalestadt was only made in a dramatic finale from eleven meters. After more than 120 goalless minutes (0:0), both teams stepped up for the nerve-wracking penalty shootout. At one point, it looked like a historic upset for Jena: after Wolfsburg’s Lineth Beerensteyn missed her attempt and four Jena players had previously converted safely, Felicia Sträßer had the great opportunity to secure the victory for FCC.
However, VfL goalkeeper Stina Johannes became the decisive figure of the afternoon: she saved Sträßer’s shot and kept the guests’ hopes alive. Immediately afterwards, Johannes also parried the attempt by Jena’s Fiona Gaißer. Smilla Vallotta finally scored the decisive goal for the final score of 5:4 for the team from Niedersachsen. VfL coach Stephan Lerch expressed his relief to Sportschau after the final whistle: “I suffered a lot. Now I’m just happy that we prevailed. It’s not a given to turn it around like that in a penalty shootout.”
Jena’s Fighting Spirit Against Exhausted Guests
For the guests from Wolfsburg, the match in Thüringen was an extremely tough struggle. Following their grueling exit from the Champions League against Olympique Lyon after extra time just a few days ago, they appeared visibly exhausted. The Jena players courageously took advantage of this circumstance, remained compact defensively, and successfully held their own against the clear favorites throughout the entire match, even if it wasn’t enough for a sensation in the end. Wolfsburg now advances to the DFB-Pokal final.
Matches like this cup highlight draw attention to the long and successful tradition of women’s football in the university city. Emerging from the traditional FF USV Jena, which was a fixture in the 1. Frauen-Bundesliga for many years, the players are now firmly integrated into the club structures of FC Carl Zeiss Jena. The Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld in the Paradies serves as the sporting home and, especially during matches against top teams like Bayern München or VfL Wolfsburg, becomes a meeting point for numerous local football fans who loudly support the underdogs.
Source:
Cup Final! VfL Wolfsburg wins in Jena in penalty shootout
Transparency Note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.