Xhaka - Cup shock taught me a big lesson

It was August 4, 2013. Granit Xhaka and his Borussia Monchengladbach team-mates were preparing to start their season with a trip to then-fourth division side Darmstadt in the first round of the German Cup.

What followed was a major surprise, Die Fohlen being held to a goalless draw before losing in a penalty shoot-out.

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It’s a memory that has stayed with Xhaka since, and one which he says will help him to guard against complacency when Lincoln City visit Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

“I remember when I was in my first year at Gladbach,” he told the matchday programme. “We played against Darmstadt, who were in the fourth division at the time. We lost the game in a penalty shoot-out.

“We had to learn a lot from it. We went there, thought we’d have some fun against a fourth-division team. We took the lead but then they equalised and nothing was possible anymore. But they fought for each other, they ran so hard for each other and we were all surprised. Penalty shoot-outs then come down to luck too - we lost and were standing their with big heads thinking ‘what did we do wrong?’

“There are many upsets in cup competitions, which we’ve seen in the FA Cup. You have to give your all against all sides, regardless of if they’re in the second division, or the fourth, or the fifth. In football, things can happen quickly. Against the smaller teams, if they get a goal, it can be difficult to get one back. The cup is always good for a surprise, but we’ve dealt with that well so far.”